Unwanted Change
by ErinTheSalsa
Summary: Throughout the course of Ichigo's life, he's lost so much. Slowly, he's been able to put things back together, and he gained strength along the way. What will he do when everything he loves is put in danger? IchiTats around chapter 15
1. Haunted Memories

**Okay, so, here's the first chapter. I hope you like it! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, you can send them in the form of a review. Thank you, and enjoy!**

_It had only been one year since Ichigo graduated from the Shinigami Academy and joined the ranks of the Gotei 13. He was assigned to the tenth squad, led by his father, Isshin. Being a new Soul Reaper, he hadn't been able to see much action. Until one day..._

"_Attention, all squad captains! Emergency captain meeting. Attention, all squad captains! Emergency captain meeting. Attention-"_

_The entire seiretei was in chaos. Ichigo was training with his friends Renji and Rukia when they heard the alarm. Immediately, the trio had to split as they each went to their own squad barracks. When Ichigo arrived in the barracks of the tenth squad, everyone was questioning the occurrence. _

"_What's going on?" "Is a hollow entering Soul Society?" Question after question filled the room. Not familiar with many of the members of the squad, Ichigo sat in the corner, waiting for his father-no, captain- to return and give them their orders. The wait was long and enduring, but Ichigo's patience wasn't tried much more than an hour when Captain Isshin entered the barracks. The room fell silence upon his entry. _

_Isshin Kurosaki held the respect of all his squad. He was a strong, determined man who's courage and dedication always pulled them through to victory. He knew when to laugh, when to cry, when to comfort, he was great at knowing what to do and how to do it. As such, he had befriended every last member of the tenth squad. All the other squad captains recognized him as a truly remarkable and talented Shinigami, and had the utmost respect for him. But many envied him for his abilities. _

_The captain was incredibly strong, and could defeat most enemies without even calling out his shikai. Rarely had anyone seen it, not many knew his zanpakuto's name. Even rarer was seeing his bankai. The only ones that had seen it were the Central 46 when deciding whether or not he was fit to be captain. Not even Ichigo, Isshin's only son had seen it. The tenth captain was also extremely skilled at demon magic. His bakudo was more powerful than anyone else's, and his speed was quick, and his strength strong, and his mind sharp. Because of the envy towards Isshin, they envied Ichigo as well. They expected him to be just as talented as his father, maybe even more. Yet Ichigo hasn't even mastered his own zanpakuto. The blade refused to give Ichigo it's name. Many wondered how he had graduated without knowing its name, but they just assumed that it was because of his father's influence. Ichigo believed that too, and everyday he was reminded of it, as everyday he would think, "I'm not fit to be a shinigami." Several times, Ichigo wished he could go back to the Academy to finish properly. _

_The captain gained everyone's attention, then announced, "Everyone in our squad is to guard the northwestern corner of the Seiretei. We have received word that extremely powerful Hollows will be attacking..." The captain whispered to his lieutenant, Toshiro Hitsugaya, and the two began to gather the soul reapers of squad ten. Ichigo was assigned to the fourth seat's squadron. The fourth seat was named Hisagi Shuusuke. Hisagi quickly took his team and led them to their area, which was located near the captain's team. _

_They're destination was an area full of trees. In the area were several training grounds that several of the teams still used, some of the grounds left abandoned. The area, for now, was still and calm. The sounds made were that of the shinigami in the area. Not even a cricket chirped. The sky was a purplish-orange, colored by the setting sun in the west. In the east, it was already dark, and the moon could be seen low in the eastern sky. Ichigo looked back to west. The radiant red sun was halfway under the horizon, casting the distant landscape a black, compared to its brilliancy. The sky seemed calm, almost as if nothing bad were about to happen, as if they weren't in a state of emergency. Then something happened that took Ichigo by surprise. _

_A small opening cut through the sky. It was black as night. At first, it was nothing more than a small slit, but gradually, it grew taller, opening up to show multiple figured standing just on the other side of the threshold. From such a far distance, Ichigo couldn't make out their faces, but could see something that looked Hollow masks upon their faces, all of different shapes and designs. One in the middle of medium height sent an arm slicing through the air, signaling to the others to scatter. Immediately, Ichigo pointed out the sight to Hisagi, who yelled to the captain not far away. _

_Ichigo turned back to the lone figure. The black opening had vanished, leaving only the person's silhouette in his place, cast into shadows from the setting sun. Ichigo watched him for a while, then the figure moved. A second later, it had somehow broken though the barrier surrounding the seiretei, and was right in front of Ichigo._

_The novice shinigami gave out a yelp of surprise at the figure before him, the small orange hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. In front of Ichigo was a male, only a fraction taller than himself. His eyes were of an emerald green, with tear streaks of the same color marked down both cheeks. His black hair with a green sheen was shoulder-length, and half was hidden behind a mask on the right side of his skull. His expression was of none. Ichigo had only heard of such beings from his father/captain. These _things _were Arrancar._

_Terrified, Ichigo stepped back a few paces, his hand on his zanpakuto's hilt. He was in perfect position to attack, but was to scared to do so. The Arrancar took hold of this opportunity and seized Ichigo around the throat, lifting his feet off the ground. Ichigo began to choke. The Arrancar looked up and down Ichigo, as if examining him. Whatever he was thinking was a mystery as his face remained void of expression. Then the Arrancar made eye contact with Ichigo. Soft spoken words escaped his lips. _

"_You'll do just fine."_

_Scared for his life, Ichigo began to claw at the Arrancar's hand, trying to pry his way to freedom, but the hold only strengthened. Then Ichigo's neck began to burn, and tears came to his eyes, blinded by his pain. From behind him, Ichigo heard a battle cry, and he fell to the ground, the hand still attached to his neck, the burning sensation still upon his throat. Gasping for air, Ichigo tried once more to remove the hand from his neck, oblivious to the battle just to his left. _

_Isshin Kurosaki had his blade pointed at the green-eyed hollow, fury blazing in his own eyes. The Arrancar reacted quickly, pulling his own katakana from its sheathe. The two went into a blur of movement, the others only watching in awe. Only one of them, Hisagi, rushed to Ichigo's aid. Trying desperately, Hisagi attempted to remove the hand from Ichigo's neck, but every time he touched the severed limb, it would burn him to a whole other degree, worse than anything every before. _

_Risking his self, Hisagi grabbed hold of the hand as tight as he could, and pulled as hard as he could, despite his selfish urge to let go. Ichigo was slowly stopping his resistance. Hisagi kept pulling as he heard Ichigo gasp for air to fill his lungs. The fourth seat's hand began to bleed as he continues to pull. Not giving up, he gave a final tug, and, falling backwards, he had pulled the hand off of Ichigo. The young Kurosaki's body went limp. _

_Isshin fought the Arrancar viciously, angered that it had dared hurt his own son. He stole a glance at Ichigo, and seeing that he was no longer moving, he paused for a moment, then began to fight with more tenacity than before. Sparks were sent flying as the blades struck, each time, more and more sparkling lights scattered the vicinity. The Arrancar was keeping his end up, although he had only one hand to hold his sword. Backing up a long way from the Arrancar, Isshin held his zanpakuto in front of him and said, "Pass judgment! Masaki!" _

_The captains katana began to glow a light blue, then it changed shape. The blade lengthened twice its original length, and widened another two inches. The tip began to curve, and straightened outwards, creating a sharp point perfect piercing any surface. The hilt wrapped itself up Isshin's arm, attaching itself to the captain's body. Several spikes grew out of the end of the zanpakuto. The squad stood as they watched the captain reveal to them his shikai. _

_The captain released another battle cry and lunged at the Arrancar. Before he got halfway to him, however, the Hollow sheathed his sword, then held his hand out in front of him, and muttered, "Cero." _

_A shot of black energy erupted from his pale hand, and sent the captain out of sight. The witnesses gasped as they began to worry over their captain's survival. Soon, the eruption stopped, and the squad could see their captain again. He held his stance in front of the Arrancar, who had stopped all motion. The soul reapers began to cheer as they saw that their captain had driven Masaki through the Arrancar's torso, his hollow-blood splattered across the green lawn. The captain let a smirk crawl across his face, then his body went limp. The Arrancar twitched, then moved his remaining hand atop the zanpakuto that had injured his body. With ease, he pulled the blade out and threw the shinigami to the ground. "Hmph..." it said, stepping over the body as if it were a mere rock in its path. _

_From across the grounds, Ichigo gave a small groan. His fluttered open as he pushed himself from the ground. He rubbed his neck, still warm from the burn, and sore at that. He looked at the scene before and saw his father lying on the ground. Alarmed, Ichigo ran to his side._

"_Dad..." Ichigo whispered. He felt his father's neck, checking for pulse somewhere, but felt nothing. "No, Dad, you can't..." Ichigo leaned over his father's dead body and wept. He wept only for a brief time, for he looked up at the Arrancar, casually walking away as if he was taking a simple stroll after dinner. Ichigo jumped up and, out of rage, pulled his zanpakuto out of its sheathe. The Arrancar reacted quickly, and somehow managed to catch the blade between his thumb and forefinger. Ichigo pulled his blade back, and attacked again, not letting the Arrancar pull out his blade. Again and again, Ichigo thrust his zanpakuto at the Hollow, and again and again, the green-eyed menace threw his attacks back. Finally, the Arrancar threw Ichigo far across the lawn. Staggering to his feet, Ichigo felt something stir inside him that Ichigo had never felt before. Suddenly, an unknown force pulled him deep withing the depths of his consciousness, into a world he had never seen before._

_The world consisted of hundreds, maybe thousands of, skyscrapers. Yet the gravitational pull turned the whole world on its side, and the buildings were sideways, making their own horizon. There were three figures in the world, one of which was a confused Ichigo. Another one was a man dressed in a long dark cloak with straggly dark hair, a stubby beard, and V-shaped sunglasses. The other figure was a hollow that looked just like Ichigo, except, it looked like a picture taken in negative. They were completely quiet. Not a sound was made, save for the wind occasionally lowing between the sideways skyscraper. All the while, only one word was in Ichigo's mind. He muttered the word, and the man and hollow both nodded. A smile appeared on Ichigo's face. The world suddenly vanished, and Ichigo was thrown back into the blood-stained garden. Taking a stance he never took before, Ichigo prepared himself to fight, then shouted a phrase he never had before._

"_Shout! Zangetsu!"_

_His zanpakuto began to change, growing longer and thinning at the tip, creating a fine point. There was no hilt or guard on the sword. Ichigo held the sword straight out in front of him, then brought it back over his head. With one mighty swing, he brought the sword down, releasing a streak of black reiatsu flying towards the Arrancar. Stricken with shock and surprise, the hollow wasn't able to dodge, and took the blow head on. When all had settled, the body of the enemy was sprawled on the ground, then gradually faded away into oblivion. The shinigami cheered for the victory._

_Ichigo threw down his blade and ran to his father's side. His body had turned cold as ice. Crying, Ichigo sat there, holding his father's lifeless hand. That day, that dark, dark day, the tenth squad, and the entire Gotei 13 lost an incredible captain, and Ichigo lost an incredible father. _

_His whole world began to swirl into darkness, and all became a blur. The pain Ichigo felt still heavied his heart. He could hear someone calling out to him, but he chose to ignore it, wanting to be left alone in his misery, but they would not stop calling. His world started to shake as he heard the shouts grow in volume._

"_Ichigo...Ichigo..._Ichigo...ICHIGO!!"

Awakening from his memories, Ichigo Kurosaki, captain of the tenth squad, opened his eyes to see his younger sister Yuzu Kurosaki shaking him from his sleep.

"Ichigo-oniichan, Toshi-chan is here!"

Grumbling, Ichigo stood, and, after his sister had left, changed into proper clothes, the memories of his father's death still haunting him.

**Thanks for reading, please review, and I hope you come back for more!**

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha XD**


	2. Thinking Back

"Ichi-oniichan, hurry up!" Yuzu called from the front hall.

Ichigo grumbled some inaudible response in return, then, grabbing Zangetsu, left his room. It had been two hundred this day that his father was killed. It was also that on that day that Ichigo discovered Zangetsu's name and was first able to use shikai. Since then, Ichigo's been able to climb through the ranks of Soul Society, currently holding the position of tenth squad captain, the very same position his father Isshin had held for centuries.

Walking down the hall, Ichigo passed Karin, his other younger sister. Her black hair covered her face. While passing, she didn't so much as look at him, much less greet him good morning. Ichigo found this strange. Stopping in the middle of the hallway, he watched her continue walking. She didn't pay any attention. Thinking it was because of the anniversary of their father's death, Ichigo wanted to say something comforting to her, but before he could, Yuzu called to him once more. Stretching his neck down the way, he yelled that he would be there in a moment, then he turned back to find that Karin had already gone. Sighing, he strode to the front hall to find his lieutenant Toshiro Hitsugaya waiting for him.

"Ohiyo, Kurosaki-taichou," the white-headed youth greeted. Together, the pair left the Kurosaki home. Strolling along the path, Ichigo took his time to enjoy the sights. To him, spring was his favorite season, only because everything seemed to have the will to live. The fresh blossoms on the trees, the newly-greened grass, the birds chirping, the whole seemed full of new life, and was thriving. He smelled the air, savoring the sweet fragrances of the spring wildflowers. Everything was alive.

"Taichou."

Toshiro pulled Ichigo back to his body, giving his captain a serious look, although not much different from his usual expression. "Is something wrong, Toshiro?"

"..Hai..." The lieutenant's blue-green eyes took to the ground. There was a long silence as Ichigo waited for an answer.

"The Captain-Commander summoned me yesterday."

"What about?"

"I'm being promoted."

Struck with surprise, Ichigo laughed.

"Wha-What's so funny?" Toshiro inquired, puzzled at his captain's strange reaction.

"Nothing's funny," Ichigo stated after his laughter ceased. "I'm just so happy for you, I started to laugh, that's all." Ichigo's orange head toward Toshiro, and then he continued. "Why are you so down about? This is a cause for celebration!" Ichigo reached over and put his arm around his lieutenant's in congratulation, much to Toshiro's dismay. He hated physical contact unless it fighting an enemy. As such, he released a small yelp that fit his size.

After Ichigo (finally) let go of the white-haired shinigami, he asked, "So which squad?"

"Fifth."

"Oh, I see. So you're to replace Aizen."

Ichigo's thought's went back to when Sousuke Aizen had betrayed the Soul Society and joined with the hollows in Hueco Mundo. It surprised everyone, especially Ichigo. His hate for hollows ran so deep, it hurt so much when a fellow soul reaper decided to join them. Why, Ichigo could and would never guess. It had only been a few months, but the pain still lived on, and probably would never die. Coming out of his thoughts, Ichigo asked, "So when is it going to be official?"

"Two days from know."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Just me, you, and the ones that chose me for this position."

"Well," Ichigo said, sending a tone of optimism, "the fifth squad'll be lucky to have you. With you and Hyourinmaru, there'll be no one that'll want to put them down." Ichigo stopped in the middle of the road. When Toshiro noticed, he stopped and turned to his captain. Ichigo took a step forward, and , placing his hands on Toshiro's shoulders, said, "Good luck."

Toshiro gave a small, rare smirk. "Arigatou." Then the pair headed off to the seiretei, it being one of the last times they would as captain and lieutenant.

Reporting to the tenth squad barracks, Ichigo and Toshiro had to go their separate ways. Ichigo left with a smile on his face, but after a while that seemed to fade, leaving only a ghost in its place. He _was _happy that Toshiro was becoming a captain, he deserved at least that much, but a new thought came to his head. _Where am I going to get a lieutenant as good as Toshiro?_ His current lieutenant had been amazing, always proving that he deserved the position, and he held it proudly. He worked swift and diligently, always focused on the task at hand, and always managed to find time for his subordinates that needed his help. He truly was an exemplary soul reaper, the perfect example to all who strove to be in the higher ranks (except he could smile a little more often). To find a lieutenant as hardworking as Toshiro...Well, that was close to impossible.

The day passed with no real dangers. A few hollows had appeared in the World of the Living, but that wasn't much different than any other day. There were stacks of paperwork that needed to be done, but Ichigo finished the piles before the sun reached the middle of the sky. With time left on his hands, Ichigo went to the garden in the northwestern part of Seiretei. He sat in the spring grass and laid down, but he did not relax. It was in this very spot, two hundred years ago on this very day, that his father had given his life to defeating the Arrancar that had dared entered their territory.

He laid there for a long time, recounting the events over and over again. That day had been a blur, but he could still remember that majority of it. There were somethings that confused him, though. For one, why did the Arrancar choose to attack? Sure they hated the soul reapers with every fiber of their very being, but to enter their domain with such few numbers? Defeat was certain for them, no matter how powerful they were. Taking on all those shinigami at once, that was crazy.

The second thing, what did that one mean by "You'll do just fine." What did he hope to accomplish other than killing Ichigo when he began to burn his throat. Ugh, the very thought of that moment made Ichigo grasp his neck, the skin prickling where he had been burned. The scar still refused to vanish naturally. Unohana had said she could try to remove it, convinced that it could lead to medical problems in the future, but Ichigo chose to keep it as a reminder of his father's passing.

The third. When Ichigo contacted Zangetsu in that "inner world" as some called it, he saw a hollow in there. Except that hollow was different from the others, even the Arrancar. First off, it didn't have a mask of any kind. Second, it looked just like Ichigo save for discoloration. Its hair had been black, skin as pale as fresh snow. It wore a shinigami's outfit, except it was white. It didn't have a hole on its body, at least from what Ichigo could see. Finally, it had a zanpakuto, rare if not impossible on hollow. What had a hollow been doing inside Ichigo? Many times, he had tried to gain entry again, but was always denied. Once, Ichigo tried to ask Zangetsu about it, but his partner didn't reply, either from not being able to hear, or because it was a question it wanted to avoid. Maybe even both. Ichigo was sure that Zangetsu knew why, it just never answered. Oh, how Ichigo has been frustrated by that.

Another thing. Why was Ichigo able to defeat the Arrancar, yet his father had failed? That question led to what that attack was that Ichigo had used to kill it. Although he had learned the name of the attack (getsuga tenshou), he still didn't really know what it was.

Confusion surged throughout Ichigo's body as it always did when he pondered such questions, never being able to come to an answer. The more he thought of it, the more frustrated he became, and the desperate he was to find the answer. At those times, he suddenly thought that maybe it was something that he shouldn't know, and then dropped it, letting the anger be released.

The sun was setting low, and it looked how it had when they had been attacked. The clouds were even almost the same. It amazed Ichigo that he could still remember such small details like that, yet all the ones that seemed to matter just drifted to oblivion. Hesitantly, the tenth captain stood and returned to his barracks.

That night before he went to bed, Ichigo gathered his sisters at the small pond in the middle of their small estate. That night, they said a prayer of remembrance honoring Isshin, and following the prayer, they lit a candle, etched Isshin's name on the side, and let it out to float on the pond, allowing its light to shine for all those who chose to herald its beauty.

Heading off to their separate, Ichigo paused to gaze at the sky. He knew of the cycle that all who died in the Soul Society would be reborn in the World of the Living, and vice versa, but he instead chose to believe that Isshin Kurosaki, the extraordinarily talented shinigami, still lived on as a star, sparkling brilliantly, still watching over his family. The thought brought great happiness to Ichigo, and the captain retired to his room, allowing dreams of sweet reunion with his parents sweep over him.

**Thank you for reading, and I hope that you will review! Thanks again, and please come back!**

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha;D**


	3. Nostalgia

Ichigo awoke that morning to the soothing sound of chirping birds. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his honey-brown eyes. Letting memories from yesterday come to mind, Ichigo's heart sank.

_This is my last day with Toshiro..._ he thought. Sadly, the captain stood, then dressed himself. Shuffling his way down the hall, he picked up the scent...the scent of food. Following the aroma, Ichigo found himself in the kitchen, Yuzu cooking breakfast. Hearing someone enter the room, Yuzu turned around to see her older brother.

"Ohiyo gozaimasu, niisan!" she greeted with a smile. Greeting her similarly, Ichigo sat down at the low table where they usually ate their meals.

"Karin's not feeling well," Yuzu called. "So it'll just be us this morning."

The food was prepared soon enough, and the siblings ate in silence. Lost in thought, Ichigo stared at his rice bowl. He watched it for a while, seeing without seeing, thinking but not thinking. Thoughts flew through his mind, but none settled in, except for one. Caught by surprise, an image of the hollow that Ichigo had seen inside himself years ago appeared. His face was viciously contorted, as if going mad. A feeling of fear took over his senses, and suddenly Ichigo felt sick. He gagged.

"Niisan?" Yuzu questioned. "Is there something wrong?" A expression of worry spread over her normally cheerful face.

Pulling his hand from his mouth, Ichigo managed to say, "No, I'm fine."

_That had never happened before, _Ichigo thought. _Why did that of all things come in my head?_

Shaking the thought, Ichigo finished the rest of his breakfast, thanked Yuzu for the food, and left. Why did that image flow his mind? Again, Ichigo was faced with a question that he could not answer. Puzzled, he walked straight past Toshiro, who had been on his way to his captain's house.

"Taichou!" he yelled, pulling Ichigo out of his thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Are you feeling well?"

"Hm?...Oh, no it's nothing...Just thinking about some things." Forcing his puzzle to the back of his mind, Ichigo became fulling engaged in the conversation.

"So this is your last day as a lieutenant...How does it feel?"

"Exuberating, but also depressing. I can't wait for my new position, but I'd hate to leave my current squad. You were as close to family as I had ever gotten. And let me tell you something..." Toshiro lowered his voice and said, "You're the best captain I've served since your father."

The compliment sent a surge of pride through Ichigo's veins, but he tried to be modest.

"Oh, c'mon, my dad was way better than me. At least he could do bakudo...I can't even mutter the spell without exploding! Nah, he was way better than me..." The orange-haired shinigami spent a few seconds letting images of his dad come to the front of his mind, then reluctantly pushed them back. Before he could say something else, though, a prickling sensation went across Ichigo's neck, and the image of the hollow came back to his mind, except this time more vivid. Ichigo stopped walking and, cupping his mouth with both hands, kneeled over coughing.

"Ichigo!" Toshiro shouted. He went to the side of his captain, but before he could console him, Ichigo stood up, pulling his hands back down. "I told you earlier I'm fine. Don't worry about it, okay?" After a pause, Toshiro nodded his head, and the two continues their walk to Seiretei.

A hell butterfly came up to Ichigo and landed on his finger. After listening to what it had to say, Ichigo whispered something to it that his lieutenant could not hear, and let it fly away.

"What was that about?" The white-haired youth asked Ichigo.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"And just how many times are you going to say that?"

Ignoring the comment, they continued one their way, this time with no interruptions.

Arriving at the tenth squad barracks, a soul reaper ran up to Ichigo, and reported, "Sir, something has broken out in the mess hall. You need to come quickly!" Putting a serious face as best he could, Ichigo motioned for Toshiro to follow and the two followed the man as fast as they could. Just out side the mess hall, they paused, but only to open the doors. The inside was dark and quiet. Ichigo acted confused, although he really knew what was going on. Toshiro, however, was utterly clueless.

They walked into the room, Toshiro leading the room. As he came to the center of the hall, he stopped.

"What is going on?" he asked. His seriousness almost made Ichigo double over, laughing. However, the captain bit his tongue, and hard.

Almost as if in response, the lights flipped on, and all of squad jumped out, yelling "SURPRISE!" Ichigo finally released the laugh he had been holding in, and the room almost shook with his laughter. When he finished, he noticed green-blue eyes piercing into his very being.

"I-chi-go-tai-CHOU!!" the lieutenant yelled.

"What?!"

"What'd you do this for?"

"Hey, it's your last day! Why not give you a farewell party?"

Calming at that logic, Toshiro's bulging veins relaxed, but not completely. "You could have at least _not_ make it like there was an emergency in here!"

"Now, what fun would that be?"

Toshiro paused for a moment. For a brief moment, he could have sworn that he had seen Isshin Kurosaki once more. The way how Ichigo had responded, and how his expression was arranged, and the tone he had used, it was just how Isshin used to act. Finally relaxing, he joined the celebration, accepting the many "Congratulations!" and "Good luck!"s and "We'll miss you!"s. It felt as though a little bit of him had died, but he chose to ignore it. His friends had put together a wonderful celebration for him, and he wanted to show his appreciation by enjoying every minute of it, for them.

The day continued, and as the party died down, the sun began to set. Although the first hour had been extremely entertaining and joyous, the rest of it slowly lost its luster, yet no one wanted to leave just yet. Then, around five in the afternoon, a nostalgic sound erupted throughout Seiretei.

"Attention, all squad captains! Emergency captain meeting. Attention, all squ-"

Memories of that day flooded to Ichigo as if he had been standing in a deep gorge, and the dam keeping tons and tons of water out of it had broken completely. He stood for a moment, but then someone bumped his shoulder, and Ichigo reported to the meeting hall.

All the current captains had gathered, and were awaiting the orders of the Captain-Commander. An atmosphere thick as thick could be settled among them. Soon enough, though, the Captain-Commander's voice boomed out for all to hear.

"We have received word that Arrancar are going to be attacking."

Another wave of nostalgia washed over Ichigo. It was almost exactly as the last time had been...

"Not only are they attacking us, but there are doing so under the command of the traitor Sousuke Aizen."

Gasps of disbelief spread at the mention of the traitor and of his new accomplices.

"Defeat the enemy, and, if possible, capture them. If this is possible, bring them here. Second squad, report to the southern section. Third squad, report to..." Genryuusai continued to pass out instructions to the different squads, each being assigned to different sections of Seiretei.

"Tenth squad!"

Ichigo's head jerked up to see the Commander watching him.

"Uh..hai?"

"Guard the northwest corner."

_Why?_ Ichigo thought painfully. _Why do I have to go back under the same circumstances? It's not fair..._

The meeting was adjourned while the captains went off to inform their squads of their situation. Ichigo was hesitant to return, but what had to be done had to be done. Entering the barracks, with its party decorations still hanging, Ichigo relayed the information to his squad. Ready to be rid of the monsters, the multiple shinigami stood and gathered their zanpakutos, quickly forming smaller teams and heading out to their assigned areas.

"Taichou?"

Ichigo turned to see Toshiro staring at him with concerned eyes. "Will you be alright?"

"...Yeah...Let's go..."

Obediently, Toshiro followed his captain to their area, working together for probably the last time on the same squad.

Arriving at their destination, Ichigo observed the area. Almost everything was the same, except this time, his father wasn't there, and he instead was captain. His throat burned, and Ichigo touched his neck for the umpteenth time. The burn mark was still there, and occasionally would itch, but it had been getting worse as of late.

Ichigo looked toward the sun. Although he was captain and shouldn't have been spacing out, he couldn't help it. He watched the orange orb float upon the horizon, soon to disappear beyond his sight. He was about to look away, when yet again, something in the sky took his attention.

"No way..." Ichigo whispered.

"Nani?" asked one of his subordinates.

A rip in the sky appeared, and grew larger, revealing several figures. _It's all the same...It's just like last time...NO!_

Quickly, Ichigo gathered his troops and warned them of the oncoming attack. Each took their stances, prepared to fight. They watched the hole in the sky, and gasped when they suddenly vanished, but Ichigo knew better.

"Hold your ground! You never know where they'll show up!"

"Correct."

Ichigo shivered. That voice. He had heard it before. He hid his fear as best he could, then turned around. The figure behind him had the whitest skin, and black, shoulder-length hair. His eyes were of emerald, and the same color tear streaks ran down his face. He looked just as he had two hundred years ago. Disbelief struck Ichigo.

"You..." he muttered. It was, in fact, the Arrancar that had killed his father.

_But...But, I killed you...didn't I?_

"Hm?" came from the Arrancar. He seemed to gaze at Ichigo's neck. "It was you that I had marked..." he said, just loud enough for Ichigo to hear, but no one else. Ichigo suddenly felt drained of energy. He stared at the Arrancar's eyes, and he did the same. Ichigo could feel his heart beat. Tossing the fatigued feeling, Ichigo lunged at the evolved hollow with every ounce of strength in his body, swinging furiously.

The Arrancar dodged as Ichigo hit the ground, leaving a deep cut mark in the grass.

"Too slow."

Ichigo turned and attacked again, but again the Arrancar dodged. They took their fight to the sky, the hollow dodging swing after swing.

_Damn!_ Ichigo thought. _Why can't I hit him?! _

Pulling Zangetsu back as far as his arms could reach, Ichigo let out a cry, slow and soft at first, but as he let the energy build in his blade, his cry grew in strength.

"Getsuga-" With a sudden burst of power, Ichigo threw his arms over his head, yelling "TENSHOU!" The black energy he had first used those many years ago to defeat the opponent before him flew out, leaving Zangetsu, and instead went towards a new target. The Arrancar's eyes widened ever so slightly, and Ichigo thought that the hit would strike, but at the last second, the enemy pulled out his zanpakuto and blocked it.

"Damn!" Ichigo muttered viciously. Before the attack had disappeared, though, the captain followed the flow of energy. Once it had disappeared, Ichigo came slicing through it while he attempted to catch the Arrancar off guard. Luck was with him, and Ichigo hit his left shoulder, leaving a deep gash where it had cut the snow-white skin.

A smirk crept across the orange-haired man as he stepped back, examining his work. "Am I still too slow?" There was a silence, then the Arrancar said:

"Shinigami, what is your name?"

A bit surprised by the question, Ichigo replied, "My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, the captain of the tenth squad of the thirteen protection squads...What's your name?"

"Ulquiorra Schiffer." Along with his name, Ulquiorra gave Ichigo an attack so fierce, it almost knocked Ichigo off his feet. Pushing his attacker back, the two were locked, blade to blade. Ichigo pushed as strong as he could, but the Arrancar was just perserverant. They were locked for over a minute. Ichigo was surprised that Ulquiorra was able to keep it going for as long as he had, considering the deep cut Ichigo had left in his shoulder. Soon enough, Ulquiorra began to waver, and just when Ichigo thought he was going to pull out, however, the hollow gave a smirk. Ichigo began to wonder the cause of this, but soon found out.

Ulquiorra said something under his breath that Ichigo did not catch, and his neck started to burn with such intensity, the captain fell to the ground.

"Captain!" "Taichou!"shouted the others, confused by their captain's fall. Some rushed to him,and found Ichigo holding his neck with both hands, a look of intense pain across his face. Toshiro came to his side as well. He looked down on his friend in his suffering, wondering what was causing him such pain. He then remembered the mark that Ichigo had had on his throat for years, and how he came to have it.

"Oh no..." Toshiro muttered. "This is...dammit!"


	4. Condemned!

The world seemed to spin to Ichigo Kurosaki. His neck burned with such an intensity that he had never felt before. He heard the shouts of his many fellow soul reapers, but he did nothing to acknowledge them. Slowly but surely, his surroundings faded to a deep dark black, taking all of his senses with it...

Gradually, Ichigo regained his senses. Waking, his neck no longer burned. Sure, it did tingle slightly, but it was easy to ignore. As his senses arrived, Ichigo noticed that he wasn't where he was when he fell into his dark despair.

The area was familiar. He had seen it several times in his life, but with large time intervals in between. The world had a blue sky, but each time he had visited, the clouds were going in different directions. This time, however, they went the way they would normally go in the World of the Living. Tall buildings gathered around him as he stood on one dark blue rooftop. The jungle of skyscrapers prevented his vision from going any further.

Ichigo waited. He knew that sooner or later, someone would come to him. He wanted to leave, but he knew he couldn't do so until whoever called him released him; he waited. The seconds turned to minutes, and the minutes turned to hours, or at least, that's what it felt like to Ichigo. A mere twenty minutes had passed, although to Ichigo, it felt like days, when a dark figure appeared before him. The figure was tall, dressed in a dark cloak that covered its body. The eyes were dark and wise, always having something to say, yet never verbalized it.

"Zangetsu," Ichigo said, acknowledging the presence of his zanpakuto. "What's going on?"

Zangetsu was silent for a while, contemplating his words, but before his answer could form completely in his head, Ichigo interrupted.

"Where's that hollow?" he asked, noting that the strange being wasn't present.

Silence.

"What's going on? Zangetsu?"

"I'm sorry...Ichigo..."

Puzzled, Ichigo began to question the statement, but the hollow appeared, looking as though he had just come from battle. Before Ichigo could question that as well, the world slowly faded. Zangetsu looked down, a look of self-disappointment upon his face. The hollow, however, turned to Ichigo and gave a smirk. Then the world was swallowed into infinite darkness.

Ichigo's world slowly began to come into focus. He noticed that he was not in his "inner world," nor was he were he was while fighting the Arrancar Ulquiorra. It was a dark, long, tall room, with only one light, which was focused on Ichigo. The walls around him were tall, with panels with different markings on them. He thought that he had been there before, but he couldn't remember when, or what it was.

No noise came from the room, and Ichigo waited. From behind one of the panels came a voice.

"Ichigo Kurosaki!"

That deep accusatory voice suddenly reminded Ichigo where he was. His head jerked up, remembering this place. It was the Central 46.

"Ichigo Kurosaki! You are to condemned for your treachery on the field if battle!"

Stunned, Ichigo yelled out to the voice. "What is this? What did I do wrong?"

"Do not interrupt!"

From out of the shadows came the Captain-Commander. His old, lined face was stern. Ichigo wanted to walk to him, but then he realized that he was chained down to a chair.

"Wha-What's going on?!"

The Commander stared at Ichigo. "You betrayed your comrades in battle, joining forces with the enemy. For that, you will be sentenced to death!"

Confused, Ichigo replied, "But I still don't understand! When did I-" Then Ichigo stopped. He suddenly remembered the hollow inside him. It had come back looking like it had been fighting. Was it possible...?

"Thirty-one days from now," one of the Central 46 stated, "you will be executed! That is the final decision of the Central 46!"

"No way..." Ichigo muttered. "I...This can't be...No..." Ichigo stared down at the floor. How could something like this happen to him? What had happened while he was inside himself? Images of the hollow taking over his body flashed through his mind as he only tried to imagine what damage it had done.

Several masked shinigami from the second squad came in and began to lead Ichigo to his cell, where he would wait for his execution.

The outside world was dark as night had fallen on Soul Society. The bright full moon shone brightly, illuminating Ichigo's surroundings.

_Now what?_ he thought. He looked up to the sky, gazing at the stars as he walked. _Dad, what's going on? What's happening to me?_ A silent, lone tear rolled down Ichigo's face before he realized he was crying. He looked around, hopefully finding someone he could ask about what had happened, but no one was in sight. He tried to ask his "guards," but they refused to answer him.

Despair fell upon Ichigo's very being. He was going to be executed in a month, and he had no idea why. He wondered his parents would have thought of it. He wondered how Karin and Yuzu would handle it, having no parents nor older brother to look after them. He didn't even want to think about it. He prayed to whatever gods there were, asking that somehow, someway, he would escape this predicament. He didn't care how, so long as he got to protect his family. He stared at the moon and stars once more, another tear rolling down his cheek.


	5. Unexpected Help

Somewhere not too far from Ichigo Kurosaki, an explosion erupted from the side of one of the buildings near him. He turned to see what had caused it, debris flying in the air. Dust from the explosion obscured his vision, forcing him to squint his eyes. Ichigo's surroundings were covered in the dust, not even allowing him to see two feet in any direction.

Several yells sounded near Ichigo as he swerved swiftly, searching for the source. He took a step forward. It was wet. He looked down, seeing a red substance forming a puddle around his foot.

_Blood,_ he thought in a panic. Something was around, killing.

A maniac laugh came from around him, but Ichigo couldn't find the source.

"Show yourself!" he yelled to the invisible attacker. The laugh sounded again. "Where are you?!"

A snow-white hand shot out from the dust, causing Ichigo to let out a surprised yell. The hand reached for him, luckily missing its target. "Who are you?" Ichigo demanded, his orange head turning round and round.

The dust began to clear, but not completely. He was able to make out a figure to his left, and he ran toward it. Before he reached it, however, the figure moved, no longer in Ichigo's range of vision.

"Wha-?!"

Frantically, Ichigo searched for the figure, turning left and right, jerking his head up and down and all around. He couldn't find it. He began to run out of the cloud of dust. Although it _was _fading, it wasn't fading fast enough. He had to escape it so he could clearly see his surroundings. Running as fast as he could, Ichigo tripped over something.

"Uagh!"

He fell to the ground hard. Quickly, Ichigo turned to see what he had tripped over. He was surprised to find that it was one of the guards that had been to taking him to the cell that was going to be detained in for a month. He scrambled to his feet, but couldn't force himself to move after that. The figure he had seen before was in front of him, except this time it was more clear.

"Ulquiorra," Ichigo muttered under his breath. The same impassive eyes stared at Ichigo, unmoving.

No matter how loud and forceful his mind yelled at his body, Ichigo wouldn't move. What kept him there was a mystery. He could hear yells of shinigami making their way to the area, curious to the explosion.

Ulquiorra moved. Tensing, Ichigo prepared for an attack that he knew his body wouldn't dodge from, but to his surprise, the Arrancar did not attack. Instead, he held something out to Ichigo. It was Zangetsu.

"How did you-"

"Come with me."

Ichigo was shocked at the hollow's words. Conflict raged in Ichigo. Going with Ulquiorra meant that he wouldn't be executed, at least for the time being. But that would also go against every fiber of his being. To go with that...that _thing_ would be like a disgrace to Ichigo's name. It was Ulquiorra who had killed his father. It was Ulquiorra that had attacked his squad. It was also probably Ulquiorra's fault for Ichigo's sentencing. What more could Ichigo possibly do to bring shame on his family and his friends? However, with all that to go against it, Ichigo stepped forward, grabbed his zanpakuto, and left with Ulquiorra Schiffer before the other shinigami could arrive.

For the first time, Ichigo stepped into Hueco Mundo. The sky was an inky black, with an ever-lasting moon planted high in it. The landscape was covered with white sand dunes, forming hills all around him. Every here and there were small trees peeking not but a few feet above the sand. There were weak, small, and feeble. Resting upon the horizon was a rather large building with a tall wall surrounding it. From the distance Ichigo was from it, he couldn't see an entrance, but shrugged it off, thinking that one would be visible as they got closer.

"What is that place?" Ichigo said, thinking out loud more than anything.

"Las Noches," Ulquiorra answered.

Ichigo turned his head to look at the Arrancar. "Is that where we're headed?" he asked.

_Wait, _Ichigo thought, _what am I doing? I shouldn't even be here!_

"Yes. Please follow me."

The pair walked for hours on end. Ichigo couldn't understand why they had arrived so far away from their actual destination. This too, he shrugged off, but he kicked himself mentally at his own ignorance of his actions. What in the world was impelling Ichigo to travel with his father's killer peacefully?

They stopped every now and then to rest. It seemed to Ichigo that no matter how long nor how far they traveled, Las Noches seemed no closer than it had when they had started. He was just about to question Ulquiorra when the sandy ground began to shake. Ichigo panicked a little, but Ulquiorra remained clam, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Out of the sand came an object that had squared points equally spaced around, forming something that resembled the top part of a rook piece in a game of chess. Slowly, it rose out of the sand. As it grew taller, it revealed that it was the top of a head. The face consisted of two pointed ovals on their sides. It had a rather large nose, with a sort of mustache wrapping around to the back of its head. Even though it spoke, its opened mouth never moved.

"Who seeks to enter Las Noches?" it asked. Ichigo was intimidated by its sheer size. It must have been at least twenty stories tall, every inch of its massive body made of sand.

"Ulquiorra Schiffer, Quatro Espada and Ichigo Kurosaki, Acomunarse Potencial."

For a moment, the tall sand creation observed Ichigo. He shifted uncomfortably under its gaze. The great figure turned back to Ulquiorra.

"Aprobacion permitido, Quatro-sama"

Ulquiorra nodded his head. "Gracias, Lunuganga-san." Ulquiorra side-stepped the sand being. Cautiously, Ichigo followed, hoping nothing bad would happen. He eyed the "guardian," he assumed as he passed. They weren't even halfway past his huge girth when he slowly sank back down to his sandy domain. Ichigo did his best not to step any closer to where the creature had stood, afraid it would come out again.

After they passed the guardian, Las Noches suddenly seemed to grow much larger, as if the sand giant would come out again, this time to attack instead of merely to question as to their purpose in coming.

"Ulquiorra?" Ichigo called. He gave no response, but the hollow looked at him.

"What's 'Acomunarse Potencial,' or whatever it was that you said?"

Ulquiorra did not answer, but simply continued walking. "Ulquiorra?" Ichigo ran a few steps, trying to get in front of the Arrancar, attempting to catch a glimpse if his face. "Ulquiorra!"

Ignoring him as if he wasn't he wasn't there, Ulquiorra continued to walk, his stride unchanging. Giving up, Ichigo fell back to let the hollow take the lead again. To his great surprise, Ichigo found them closer to the fortress than he would have thought in such a short time period. They were only a few steps from the wall that surrounded it.

When they reached the wall, Ichigo was about to ask how they were going to get in. He thought of them having to jump the wall. Ichigo looked up. It must have been at least twice the height of the sand guardian, if not more. The idea labeled itself as crazy. Ulquiorra stepped towards the wall, and, placing a hand to its side, muttered, "Abierto."

A rectangular section of the wall, only a foot taller than Ulquiorra, and expanding about two feet out either side formed, and slowly slid under the ground, allowing the small sandy hands to pull the door down to their silent domain. As the last of the door disappeared, Ulquiorra stepped over the threshold and was entering Las Noches. Ichigo stood for a while, but when the Arrancar noticed he was following, he turned and gestured to the former captain. With one look back at Hueco Mundo, Ichigo stepped into Las Noches, slow shame bubbling in the core of his consciousness.

**A/N: If you want to know what any of the foreign words mean, I suggest Google for a Spanish to English dictionary, because, yes, they are in Spanish. I used Spanish because 'Hueco Mundo,' 'Las Noches,' and the numbers (I.E. quatro, dos, cinco) are Spanish, so I'm keeping the same language for anything Hueco-Mundo-related. Thank you.**


	6. Traitor and Lost One

The hallways of Las Noches were tall, dark, and bare. Beams, Ichigo assumed for support, were crossing from one side to the other near the ceiling, at least, it seemed near the ceiling. It just so tall...

Ulquiorra led the way in silence, only looking back every now and then checking that Ichigo was still behind him. The hallway, just like Hueco Mundo, seemed to go on forever, not showing any sign of drawing close to their destination. Ichigo began to worry that an unknown enemy would emerge from the shadows and attack him. Then Ichigo began to wonder why he had even come with Ulquiorra in the first place. Yes, the Arrancar had saved him from his empty cell that would hold him till his death day, but had he really escaped? And if he were to escape at all, why would he choose to do so with the likes of _him_? Ulquiorra was the one who had killed his father, taking the life of a father, friend, talented shinigami, and Ichigo's captain, but what really hurt were the first two. Why was he walking around with the enemy in his territory? Not long ago, the pair had been fighting each other, prepared to duel to the death, or at least Ichigo was. Speaking of that fight, he began to wonder what exactly had happened while Ichigo was unconscious. Did that hollow inside of him take over? Was that why he was being punished? Because he was too weak to prevent a hollow from overtaking his own body, his sacred domain of his very being? And just where had that hollow come from, anyway? Had he been born with Ichigo? Was he born because of Ichigo's past actions? Or was he put in there by another? Without thinking about, his hand touched the scar on his neck. He caught himself in the middle of it.

_Why do I keep touching my neck whenever I think about that?_ He asked himself silently. Then Ichigo's conscious mind actual began to work. Maybe his instincts were sending him signals of the truth, and he had been to ignorant to realize them for what they really were. While Ichigo began to put together the new pieces of the puzzle that he had found, though, Ulquiorra stopped, and Ichigo almost ran him over.

Without a word, the Arrancar turned to a large, elegant but modern-looking door of tremendous stature. It was almost as tall as Ichigo's eyesight could reach. The handles were curved outward into glorious swirls, giving the look of a mansion in early America, but it had black lines against its light blue facade making geometric shapes that left a somewhat subtle Victorian charm.

Ulquiorra put a pale hand on the glorious golden handle, but before turning it, looked toward Ichigo.

"Wait here. Don't move, and don't make a sound." Without another word, the green-eyed Hollow stepped into the room. Ichigo caught a glimpse of the edge of a long white table, but no more to his dismay. When the door had closed, Ichigo let out a small sigh. Turning his head upwards, he tried to find the ceiling. After waiting several minutes for his golden-brown eyes to adjust to the light, he gave up. It was just too far up. The only way, he thought, to see it would probably be to stand on one of those rafts that were hanging in the sir between the the gray-blue walls.

Ichigo shivered. _It's freezing in here! _As an attempt to keep himself warm, Ichigo rubbed his hands together. He wondered how he hadn't noticed the cold before, as he had been in the hallway for a good, what, fifteen, twenty minutes? He studied the pathway ahead of him. He just realized that about twenty feet ahead, there was an intersection where another hallway crossed with the one he was in. Ichigo could have sworn he heard voices, but he assumed they were coming from he room that Ulquiorra had entered. But then again, he wasn't sure there were even other people in there; all he saw was a table, and nothing more.

The voices became louder, and Ichigo began to feel a reiatsu fluctuate near him. The spiritual pressure was somewhat familiar, but Ichigo couldn't place it. He soon heard footsteps, several sets of them, and the voices had stopped, he realized. By mere habit, Ichigo braced himself for an attack, one hand of Zangetsu, the other out in front of him, in some sort of attempt to shield from any sudden attacks. Just when he thought that the oncoming strangers would appear from the corner, however, the door on Ichigo's left opened, and out stepped Ulquiorra. Giving his attention to the one who had brought him here in the first place, Ichigo momentarily forgot the unknown beings.

"We're ready for you," Ulquiorra said with no emotion, as was the norm. Ichigo began to step inside the room, when he remembered the others. He looked back in time to see a pair of tall, strong-looking male Arrancar turn down the hallway, away from Ichigo watched their backs for a second. He had seen a portion of one's face, and it seemed familiar. Shaking it from his head, Ichigo went with Ulquiorra.

The room was just as tall as the hallway outside, except for a few differences. First off, it was better lit, and the ceiling was illuminated by the light of some unknown source. Apparently, the ceiling wasn't that far higher from where the darkness had engulfed the walls. Second, it was wider. In the middle of the room was a table, fitting six chairs on the long sides that were spaced out a few feet from one another. On the short end away from Ichigo was one chair, but near him, it was barren. Ten of the thirteen chairs were filled. Not paying attention to the ones in the chairs, Ichigo notice that there were some kind of bleachers formed in the side of the walls, and they were placed high off the floor. It somewhat reminded Ichigo of the Central 46 Chamber, but he shook that unwelcome memory from his mind. He also noticed that there were many Arrancar were seated in the wall seats.

Turning his attention to the table again, Ichigo saw Ulquiorra take a seat on the far side. At this time, Ichigo observed the stern-looking beings that was piercing his soul with their eyes. He was scared somewhat, but he didn't show, or at least, he thought he didn't.

Almost every one of them were Arrancar, all of different shapes and sizes, and probably abilities. He wondered why these select few were seated at the table, while all others were against the wall, far away. Then he came to the solution that they were probably the highest-ranking Arrancar.

Ichigo's eyes trailed across each of their faces, starting with the ones closest, and making his way back, staring at different eyes every time, yet every time, they were also the same. Each pair had that same intensity in their eyes, even Ulquiorra's usually impassive ones. Another wave of fear washed over Ichigo, noticing the similarities. Then, finally making it to the farthest seat, he noticed that this person was not an Arrancar.

He was a man with brown hair, the color of milk chocolate, that was slicked back, but left a strand laying across the middle of his, sweeping to one side. His eyes were the same color as his eyes, a chocolaty brown. His face held an expression of superiority and at the same time, he looked slightly pleased with the specimen before his table of underlings. A small smirk lay upon his lips, and Ichigo could have sworn that he heard the man give an...amused chuckle? If Ichigo didn't know better, he would have first thought that this man was kind. But he knew better. This was the man who had stolen from the twelfth squad captain Kisuke Urahara; this was the man who had thrown Seiretei into disarray for the sake of power; this was the man who betrayed those who put so much trust, faith, and love towards his being; this was the man who abandoned the Gotei 13 to become stronger than them all; this was Sousuke Aizen.

Rage became Ichigo's primary emotion as he sputtered, "Teme..."

"Don't you dare," yelled one of the less-disciplined Arrancar, "talk to Aizen-sama in such a manner! Why, I ought to-"

"Silence, Apache," called the only female at the table. The Arrancar that had spoken out tensed a little as she glared at Ichigo, then sat back down, letting the silence fall on the room again. Without further interruption, Aizen stood from his chair, not moving, only standing, watching Ichigo with his eyes of chocolate. The quiet almost became unbearable, and Ichigo almost couldn't stand being in the same room as that traitor. In the quiet, for the first time, Ichigo realized that Ulquiorra was working with Aizen. What has Aizen been doing since he left Seiretei just a few months ago? There's no way that he'd been creating the Arrancar, because they had attacked them two hundred years ago. Or maybe, he had, just carefully, since he was still in the Gotei 13. Ichigo was confused and furious at the same time.

Nothing made sense anymore.

"Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo looked at the man who had spoken his name. Aizen's face bore the same expression when he spoke.

"Hai?"

Aizen didn't address him the next time. It seemed that he had merely been stating what stood before him instead of getting his attention.

"Ulquiorra," Aizen said. This time, Ichigo knew, he was addressing Ichigo's savior. "You have indeed brought an...interesting prospect,-" _Prospect?_ "-Are you sure that he will do?"

"Hai."

Aizen turned toward Ichigo again. He placed his hand elegantly in the air, gesturing for someone to come forward. When the called subject came forward, Aizen whispered something in his ear. Ulquiorra stood up and walked towards Ichigo with the called subject by his side.

"Come with me."

Ichigo began to follow Ulquiorra out of the room, wary of the dozens, maybe even hundreds of eyes following him. It made him feel self-conscious.

Walking down the hall that held a high ceiling, Ulquiorra led Ichigo up several flights of stairs, down more corridors, up more stairs, through a large hall, out across a bridge to another tower, and down to one of the middle floors to a door as elegantly decorated as the one that had led to Aizen's "meeting" hall, except this one was much shorter, influenced by the lower ceiling that was much closer to the height that Ichigo was accustomed to.

Through the door, Ichigo found himself in a room that was brighter than any of the ones that he had seen in Las Noches so far. In it, there were several beds, chairs spread about, and some tables. It resembled something of a college dorm room, but not quite as welcoming. In the room, there were already several Arrancar. Three, Ichigo had counted, not including him and his two "companions." There were six beds. Ichigo assumed that all of them were to share the room.

The three that were already in the room looked up when Ichigo entered, surprised at his appearance, but when they saw that Ulquiorra and the other one had accompanied him, they soon thought less of it. Ichigo observed the Arrancar around him. First, there was Ulquiorra, but Ichigo already knew him...sort of. Then there was the one that Aizen had called. He had a mask that covered the top right side of his head and had several spikes coming out of it. It was similar to Ulquiorra's, except that it was smaller and on the other side. His eyes were a pale blue and his hair light blond. In the room, there were three men, all with black hair. One had a mask the covered his eyes, which were a deep purple. He was tall and lanky. Another had his mask covering the the right side of his forehead, his eyes a light gray, and a large pointed nose. He was short and a little robust with some roundness, but not much. The last had his back facing Ichigo, looking as if he were reading something.

"Ahem," Ulquiorra said, catching the Arrancar's attention. He turned in his chair. His jaw was lined with an incoming beard. His eyes were a dark, dark brown that were almost black. The Arrancar stood up. His body was lean, but strong, and he was just a little bit taller than Ichigo. The Arrancar faced them head on and introduced himself without being asked.

"13th Arrancar, Ulquiorra's Fracción, Isshin."

Ichigo couldn't move. The man before him, the face that he had longed to see, the one that he would mourn everyday, was standing before him. He was at a loss for words. How had this come to be? Why was he an Arrancar when he was supposed to be dead? This whole thing was absurd. But still...

"...Dad..."

**A/N: A Fracción is like a division that's led by a certain Espada. Kind of like a subdivision for the Arrancar. I think you can Google "bleach fraccion wiki," and it'll pull up to wikipedia to help give a good explanation, or something. Enjoy.**

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha**


	7. Dreams

The room's attention fell upon Ichigo Kurosaki.

"...Dad..."

The dark-haired Isshin didn't reply, but his face did hold a hint of confusion. After all these years, Ichigo could see his father again. True, it wasn't the reunion that Ichigo would have hoped for, but it was a reunion none the less, and for that, Ichigo was grateful.

"Dad...Why don't you say something?"

For some reason, Ulquiorra was taking great interest in this. He stared at Isshin, waiting for him to respond. At any other time, his interest would have seemed unnatural, but Ichigo didn't care now that dad, the loved one he had lost two hundred years ago, was standing before him. He waited for his father to respond more anxiously than Ulquiorra, which in the case was definitely saying something.

"I don't know who you're addressing, but it certainly isn't me. Don't waste your breath on a trivial matter such as this."

Ichigo was crushed. He knew, without a doubt, that this was his father, Arrancar or not. He wondered how his kind, loving, caring, sensitive father could ignore him like, speaking to him as though he meant nothing to him. He panicked for a bit, confused and hurt.

Isshin ignored the shinigami, turning his attention to Ulquiorra.

"Ulquiorra-sama, what is the purpose of this shinigami's presence?" Isshin inquired.

"Aizen-sama has taken a liking to him," he replied, "and has become an Acomunarse Potencial."

"When?"

"But a few weeks at best."

Isshin said no more, and Ulquiorra pointed out a bed in the corner of the room, implying that it now belonged to Ichigo. Shuffling his feet miserably, Ichigo went to the bed, and laid down on it. His head spun with so many inquiries and concerns; he didn't know where to begin. He chose his coming here.

What had provoked him, impelled him, _possessed_ him to come here? To come with Ulquiorra to Hueco Mundo, being led to Las Noches, and becoming Aizen's Accomon-...whatever it was? Maybe instinct or self-preservation. If it was self-preservation, he thought himself to be a coward. He was running from the Gotei and Central 46 and everyone and everything he knew. He was running from a death sentence, which, although he did not know what it was for, was the law after all. He spat at his choice. Then instinct...maybe it had sensed that something was waiting for him here in the Hollow world. Maybe it had sensed that his father was here. But what good was being reunited with his father if that father didn't even remember his only son?

Then his mind stretched out to that subject. His father hadn't remembered him, or if he had, he definitely didn't show it. If he did, then he wasn't the same father that Ichigo remembered, because if he was, he would have ran to embrace the son that he hadn't seen in two centuries. Sadness came over Ichigo just thinking about it. He decided he would rather have his father not remember him than remember and ignore. That was worse, it seemed.

Ichigo began to think about what was going on back home in Seiretei. What was Karin and Yuzu doing without him. Their mother had died when Ichigo was very young, when Yuzu and Karin were only infants. She had always been frail, but after she gave birth to Ichigo's sisters, her health had dropped. She became exponentially worse in the next few years, and eventually died. First, they had lost their mother, then their father, and now their only brother. What more could happen to them? Ichigo hoped that Toshiro would take care of them in his absence. Toshiro had always been like another brother to them, and there was also Renji and Rukia, and Ichigo had known them longer than he had known Toshiro. He prayed to wherever it was they prayed that his sisters would be taken care of.

Speaking, or rather thinking, of Toshiro, Ichigo wondered what had happened to him. Did Toshiro become the captain of the fifth squad after all? Or was he left to clean up the tenth squad? Either way, Ichigo knew he must be suffering. Then again, Ichigo wondered if he had been hurt while he was "inside." He shuddered.

He thought of all his friends that he had left behind. Sure, they would have had to have deal with him being in line for execution, but at least he didn't betray them, because he just knew that was what they thought had happened. Wave after endless wave of shame coursed through his veins. He felt like crying, feeling like he was trapped, and no matter where he went, what road he chose to take, there would be no happiness left for him. Yet he couldn't cry for that very reason. He reasoned that being trapped, his fate already decided, he would just have to play with the hand that was currently dealt to him. There was nothing he could do to change his cards, therefore having to live with it, whether he won or lost. Right now, though, he knew he was losing.

Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. The thoughts in his head soon began to merge, and Ichigo could no longer tell what was what. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it after several counts. He tried to end the confusion, but couldn't. Through his eyelids, he could tell that the room's lighting had dropped significantly. He opened his eyes to see that everyone was lying down, apparently ready to sleep. Ichigo hadn't thought about that before, that Arrancar actually slept, but he did, so he could sort of see some logic to that. Ichigo readjusted himself to a more comfortable position and welcomed sleep to come, hoping that it would take him away from the troubles and worries that were in his life as of late. True, his life just a week ago wasn't perfect, but he was still happy. Now, he justed to escape from everything. Granting some mercy, sleep came to him, but not as peacefully as he had hoped. At least it stopped his brains from jumping from concept to concept, worry to worry, thought to thought. It had made him a little dizzy. Now, in a long narrow bed in Las Noches, in the Hollow world of Hueco Mundo, Ichigo Kurosaki, ex-captain of the tenth squad, drifted to an uneasy sleep.

That night, Ichigo dreamt about his childhood. Not just any part of his childhood, but back when he was just entering the Academy. He remembered his first day so clearly, it was as if he were actually reliving it. The sun was shining so bright, you would have thought it was three feet behind you. There were few clouds in the sky, and those that were there were spread out along the vast blue entity. Just like the clouds, students, first years and seniors were spread out among the lawn in front of the main entrance of the Academy. Walking down the middle of the path leading to the front doors was Ichigo, alone. He could tell just by being in the students' presence. They were all talking about him among their individual gaggle of friends.

"That's the tenth captain's son!" "Isshin Kurosaki's kid?!" "He'll probably be in the top of all the classes." "Yeah, but Kurosaki's son?!" "Ssh! He'll hear you!"

Because of his father's position and abilities in the Gotei 13, Ichigo had been ostracized. Everyone seemed to think that he would rise above the rest, just because of who he was. It wasn't fair to Ichigo. If they were going to be intimidated by him, they should be intimidated by _his_ abilities, not his father's. But soon enough, they stopped talking, probably because Ichigo had started to make an annoyed face. Not putting up any effort to make friends, Ichigo walked up the steps to the Academy and walked in. Before the door closed, though, he could hear the others outside start talking again, and he presumed it was about him.

The inside of the building was just as full of students. There was enough room for him to walk through the halls without bumping into anyone, but everyone still noticed him. The whispered spread about him wherever he went that day like wildfire. His presence at the Academy had caught everyone's attention, and Ichigo was slightly annoyed by that fact, but he ignored it for the most part. Through the front hall, he went to the office there, asked where his first class was, and headed there without interruption. For the first class, he could everyone staring at him, their gazes yelling, "C'mon, do something amazing!" it was like they were waiting for him to sprout wings without help from Shinigami powers, fly around the school, and perform numerous miracles. He scoffed, thinking that it was sad and pitiful, that everyone expected such great things without knowing his abilities. Not that he expected to be a failure, but he didn't expect to be a genius either. He hoped that the day would pass without difficulty, and by keeping himself focused, he was able to concentrate on the various lectures that the teachers were giving.

After lunch, which was an hour long, Ichigo found himself in Combat class. For the first day, the teacher was going to assess their current skills to see what they were currently capable of. He brought out a seated officer, a seventh seat, Ichigo didn't catch his name or squad, and each was supposed to face him, both with wooden katanas, and show off their skills. Because of his last name, Ichigo was near the middle of the list, and, the class being as large as it was, it took a long while for them to get to his name. Ichigo thought it was his turn, and started to get up, when the teacher called out a different name.

"Kuchiki Rukia."

Ichigo turned his head to see a dark-haired girl stand up, a few people down the row from him. Her hair was styled where a section of it hung down between her eyes, sweeping of to one side. Her eyes were calm but serious, and they were a dark blue. She was a little short, but Ichigo chose it better not to underestimate her unlike many in the class. _Kuchiki,_ he thought. _She's of one of the noble houses._ Tensing a little, Ichigo watched her intently. She walked straight, tall, and sure of herself. Another sign saying not to estimate her. She walked down and faced the seated officer. She bowed, picked up her katana, and took her stance. It was strong, and Ichigo could tell that she had had some practice at this before. The teacher checked that both were ready and signaled them to begin. The officer hesitated, probably being nice by giving her an opening to attack, but the window didn't last very long. After a brief while of waiting, he attacked her, his katana raised above his head. Quickly, Rukia jumped out of the way, allowing the wooden instrument to hit the floor. The officer about a little surprised at her being able to dodge as quickly as she had; Ichigo was also impressed. The officer looked around, searching for his opponent when a wooden sword struck across his lower back. He winced in pain.

Turning around, he took his stance, preparing for another attack, but Rukia was too fast, as she had moved up along his right side and swung her sword horizontally into his side. The officer fell to the ground with a sound that sounded surprised. He got up to attack again, and Rukia prepared as well, but the teacher stopped them.

"That's all I need to see," he said, and gestured for Rukia to take her seat. Most of the classes gaze followed her to her seat; she had been the first in the class to knock the officer to the ground. The rest of the class watched the officer. His face had turned a bright pink, probably embarrassed by his most recent defeat.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

The pinkness in the officers faded as he heard the "Kurosaki" part. Ichigo could tell that he was thinking what the students in the courtyard were whispering earlier that same day. Isshin Kurosaki's son. Wow, he's probably just as talented as his father. He's probably a total genius. That was probably what they were all thinking. All of them. True, his father had been a genius, but apparently, that gene skipped Ichigo's generation. He wasn't horrible, at least from what his father had told during some of the few training lessons that Ichigo received. He would have had more of those lessons, but Isshin didn't want his son to be so ahead of everyone that he would be bored during the classes.

Doing as Rukia, Ichigo bowed to the officer, who bowed back. Ichigo bent down to pick up the wooden katana that he was supposed to spar with, but it wasn't there. He looked up and saw the officer had it, and was holding it out for Ichigo to take. He said thank you and took the sword. It was a little lighter than what Ichigo had used before, but he didn't complain. He figured it would increase his speed, so long as he was able to keep it from flying out of his hands. Taking his stance, Ichigo faced the officer. His face showed a little anxiety, but it was there none the less. They watched each other for a few seconds. Ichigo readjusted his grasp like how his father had showed him, and was ready to begin. The teacher gave the signal.

Just like with Rukia, Ichigo noticed, the officer gave him a small window of opportunity, and Ichigo took this one. He went forward and threw his sword at the man, who blocked it with his own. They pushed at each others for a while, then Ichigo jumped back, landing a few steps away from his opponent. The officer charged after him and attacked him just as Ichigo had done a few seconds before. Ichigo sidestepped to his right as the officers swing went towards the ground. Ichigo swung his katana toward the officers left shoulder, striking him on the top of the upper arm. He gave a little wince in pain as his left arm went a little limp. Ichigo ran a few steps to the other side of the officer so that Ichigo was facing his opponent's back. He waited for him to turn around, but he never did. Ichigo relaxed a little, but didn't drop his guard completely. Maybe he had hit a little too hard. He took a step forward to see if he was alright.

Just as his foot touched the ground, the officer was gone. He must have used shunpo. Before Ichigo could react, he heard the officer behind him, and small grunt of effort. Ichigo turned his head to the left and saw a katana coming towards his face. Ichigo began to duck, but he was a little too late and the blow bounced off the top of his head. It hurt pretty bad, but Ichigo recovered, ignoring the throbbing and created some more distance between them. Back and forth the two went, exchanging blows one after the other, most of the time blocking it with their swords. Occasionally, a blow would hit, and there was a brief pause in the continuous sound of wood against wood, but they kept at it. Ichigo didn't know how long they went at it, but he was enjoying himself. He was trying all kinds of fighting tricks that he had thought of in those nights when he couldn't find sleep. Most of them seemed to work, too.

After a while, though, the routine seemed to change. The officer, instead of following through with his head-on attack, he faked out at the last minute and hit Ichigo across the side. It was completely unexpected, and it had taken Ichigo by surprise. Falling to one side, Ichigo had the wind knocked out of him. Stunned from the attack, he had difficulty moving. Before he could recover, the officer pointed the tip of the katana at Ichigo's neck, and he tensed a little. Ichigo was reminded that there were other people present when the teacher called that they were finished. Ichigo caught his breath and the officer helped him to his feet.

"That was fun," he muttered to where only Ichigo could hear it. "You're really good. Did your dad teach you?"

"Not really. He's just shown me the basics."

"Well, either way, that was great. Keep it up."

Feeling proud of himself, Ichigo walked back to his seat. He tried not to smile, thinking that people would start to believe that he had a big ego or something, but every now and again when Ichigo thought about it, he couldn't help but allow just a small grin, but it wouldn't last very long. The rest of the class was able to spar before class ended, and Ichigo sat for a little while longer, still elated from his duel. After most of the class had cleared, though, he stood up. By now, there were only two students left in the room: Ichigo and Rukia Kuchiki. She was still sitting, but Ichigo didn't really think much of it, but before he reached the door, he turned back and went to stand by Rukia.

"Hi," he greeted. She looked at him with curious eyes.

"You're Rukia, right?"

"Uh, yeah, and you're Ichigo?"

"Uh-huh. That pretty impressive earlier," he complimented, referring to her dodge-and-strike.

"Thanks," she smiled. "Yours was pretty impressive, too. It took forever, though."

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that. I guess I got a little caught up in the fight."

"No, it's okay. I just want to say, though, that you need a little work in reading your opponent's movements." Ichigo remembered that last blow and realized that his side still hurt a little.

"Yeah, I guess I do need a little help." He touched where the wooden stick had hit him and winced. "Oh, that'll bruise," he said painfully. Rukia laughed.

"So," she said, keeping the conversation alive as they exited the room together, "you must be the son of the tenth captain, huh?"

"Yeah, I am, although people could forget about that."

"Really?" she looked at him. "Why?"

"Well, it just seems that everyone expects a lot out of me. It can get a little tiring."

"I understand how you feel," she commented, and Ichigo believed her. "Being of a noble family, people seem to treat me different than they normally would. I'm not even noble blood! My sister married into the family, and that made me a part of it. Sometimes I wish I came from a normal family, sometimes even in one of the lower Rukongai, so that no one judged me because of who I'm related to."

Understanding settled in Ichigo's chest as he replied, "I know how you feel."

The two talked for a while, and Ichigo realized that Combat wasn't the only class they had together. They also had Bakudo and lunch. Lunch had already passed, but Bakudo was next, and Ichigo couldn't wait to see what she could do there. When they got to the class, Rukia was greeted by a tall male with red hair pulled into a high ponytail. His eyes were small and dark, and he greeted Rukia as though they had known each other for a long time, and were close friends.

"Hey, Rukia!" His voice was light and friendly, but Ichigo could tell that if he became serious, that same voice could be frightening.

"Renji, this Ichigo." Ichigo was a little happy that she didn't mention his last name. "He's in my Combat class, and he's really good."

"Oh, hey, Ichigo," the red head held out a hand, and Ichigo shook it. "How's it going?"

Before Ichigo could reply, Rukia interjected, "Ichigo, this Renji Abarai. He's a good friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you."

The trio sat in a group for class. Ichigo learned that Rukia's brother-in-law Byakuya had taken an interest in Renji, thinking that he would turn out to be a skilled soul reaper one day, and that's how he got admittance into the Academy. Ichigo had expected him to be from higher up in the classes of Soul Society, but actually he was from the second lowest Rukongai. _He doesn't show it,_ Ichigo thought. Ichigo was a little disappointed from the class. The only thing they did was listen to the teacher lecture about some safety rules for Bakudo, which some sounded absolutely ridiculous.

The rest of the classes past without Ichigo making any new friends. After the class ended, Ichigo chose to linger. Maybe he would go try and find Rukia and Renji and maybe they would all do something together. Perhaps he lingered a little too long, because when he decided to leave, there were barely any students left. Walking across the front lawn, Ichigo noticed that there was a group of boys following him. He turned and recognized their faces from his Combat class. They were all pretty big guys, although none of them seemed to have any skill at handling a sword at all. The biggest one, Ichigo assumed to be the leader, stepped forward.

"So, big, bad Kurosaki's come to the Academy." The boy stepped closer, although boy was barely a word to describe him. He was taller than Ichigo, even taller than Renji, and he was large. His shoulders were broad and wide, looking like he worked out often. He had a little stubble growing along his jaw line. "You think you're pretty tough, don'tcha?"

_Oh, their jealous._

"I don't have time to talk to the likes of you." Ichigo turned to walk out, but the guy put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder, holding him in place.

"No, I don't think you understand your position. See, we don't like it when there's someone better than us."

"Really? I guess that means you don't like anyone, considering how you got your sorry butts kicked in Combat. Now, if you'll excuse me," Ichigo removed himself from the guy's grip and managed to get a few paces in front of him, "I have some things I have to attend to." His voice lowered to a mutter. "See you tomorrow."

Walking out of the Academy, he could sense that the guys felt extremely insulted, and at first, they didn't do anything. But when Ichigo was almost to the gates, he heard the guys run up to him and circled themselves around him.

"No," the leader said, "you still don't understand. You've got a cocky kind of attitude, and it's really started to piss me off. See, me and the guys think that we outta teach you a little lesson." The rest of them laughed. The leader nodded to two of the guys, and two pairs of arms grabbed Ichigo's, rendering him unable to move.

"Hey, let go of me!" The two just laughed again. The other three of the guys, including the leader, walked closer to Ichigo, pounding their fists into their palms. "Today, class," the leader said, "we're going to teach you what happens when you piss of the teacher." His voice was full of strength as he got ready to beat Ichigo up, but before he could even pull his arm back to punch, the leader fell to the ground.

"You little punk!" yelled one of the other guys. "You just kicked the boss in the face!"

"You're gonna pay!" the other one proclaimed. The two who had hold of Ichigo's arms readjusted them to where one held his arms, and the other held his legs.

"That's better," said one of them.

_Crap,_ Ichigo thought. _I should have just ignored them. It's not worth the trouble._ Ichigo closed his eyes. The hold they had on him was so strong, there was nothing he could do to defend himself. He waited for the first punch, but before it came, he heard one of the guys fall with a yell of pain. Ichigo opened his eyes. Standing in front of him, Ichigo saw the back of Renji's head, and he could see Rukia walking up behind them. He couldn't help but smile.

_I am so glad I chose them for friends._

Renji took on the guys that had been holding Ichigo, while Rukia took the other two. (The boss was unconscious from Ichigo's kick.) When they were done with the gang, the guys laid on the ground, alive, but groaning in pain. One of them looked up. "We'll get you for this. Just you wait."

Renji scoffed. "Yeah, right. Until then, I'll be waiting." His voice was just full of unspoken threats, and his eyes narrowed cunningly, looking slightly demented. Ichigo was right earlier. Renji could be frightening. _Very_ frightening, at that. Ichigo couldn't help but shudder, although it seemed as though Rukia was used to it. The gang member put his head down on the ground with a moan of defeat. A smirk crossed Renji's face as he acknowledged his victory. Then he turned to leave. Rukia and Ichigo followed.

"Hey, thanks," Ichigo said.

"It's no problem. You're my friend. It's what we do." When he spoke, Renji took on an expression that showed that he really cared about what happened to Ichigo. He couldn't help but feel grateful; Ichigo never really had a friend like that.

"That's right," Rukia added. She gave him a warm smile.

That night, Isshin questioned his son about his first day at the Academy. He looked excited to hear what Ichigo had been up to all day. At first, Isshin was a little upset at how the students whispered about him at the beginning, but then was proud about the part from Combat class, and that he had made friends with Rukia and Renji. But he was angry when the gang had confronted Ichigo after class.

"I don't like the way those guys handle things. If I were them, and were jealous of what you could do, I'd work hard at becoming better than you, instead of beating you down. I doubt that they'll be admitted to one of the Protection Squads with that kind of attitude." They were sitting over their dinner table, with most of the plates empty. Yuzu and Karin were off playing somewhere in the house, leaving Isshin and Ichigo alone. The mood was serious. Isshin always got upset when someone messed with his kids. This time was no exception.

"But seriously!" Isshin suddenly blurted. "Go back to that spar in Combat! I wanna hear more details! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!! Please?!" Ichigo laughed. This is what he liked about his dad: he could make serious situations lighter, and he could always get Ichigo to laugh one way or the other. To stop his dad's pleading, Ichigo stood up and reenacted the scene. He smiled most of the time, looking at his dad's anxious face. He looked like a little kid waiting in line for the long awaited ice cream truck. It was almost too funny.

The memories faded though, and Ichigo could no longer hear the amazed sounds his father would make during the performance. He couldn't see his smile. He missed it. All his surroundings turned to black as he fell through the dark void. Images of his dad's death came from nowhere and attacked Ichigo. Everything was more vivid than it he remembered, the emotions stronger, the movements clearer, the pain more real. Then the dark world began to shake. Ichigo could hear someone's voice trying to call out to him, but he couldn't find where it came from. He looked all around him in the eternal darkness, but it refused to show itself. The voice became gradually louder, and Ichigo could hear familiarity in it. He looked harder.

"Ichigo...Ichigo..." it called. "Ichigo, wake up...I said wake up!" There was a sense of urgency in the voice. Ichigo kept answering the voice: "But I am awake!"

The soft but urgent voice urged him. "Wake up!"

Ichigo's eyes flicked open. He was still in the room in Las Noches. It was dark since the lights had been turned off. He looked around the room and found that everyone was still sleeping. Except for one. The only other one awake was sitting at the foot of Ichigo's bed.

"Dad?"

Isshin's face was just as urgent as the voice in his sleep had been. "Follow me."


	8. Truth

"What's going on?" Ichigo said, still half-asleep.

"Ssh."

It was the middle of the night, at least Ichigo assumed, in Hueco Mundo, and the thirteenth Arrancar had woken Ichigo. Now the two were striding through the hall, swift but stealthy. Ichigo had no idea where they were going, nor why. Isshin refused to give him an answer. They walked for about ten when Isshin stopped before one of the elegantly designed doors of Las Noches. A little more relaxed, Isshin opened the door to a balcony over looking the sandy landscape of the Hollow world.

The moon was still high in the sky, as it always had been. Short, barren trees still dotted the sand. Endless dunes ran up and down, occasionally catching the moonlight, shining as bright as a star. It was beautiful in its own way, but Ichigo missed the bright blue sky back home. Then he caught himself.

_I guess this is my home now. _The thought saddened Ichigo a little. He began to wonder what would happen to him. He continued to wonder what had even brought him in the first. Right now, he would have been sitting in a cell, left for a month until execution day.

Ichigo looked to the Arrancar that resembled his father. Isshin spoke first.

"Do you know why I brought you here?"

"No."

"Ichigo...," the hollow paused, a little sad. "I wanted to talk to you." Before Ichigo could ask about what, his question was already answered. "I didn't forget about you."

Ichigo looked away for a bit. He stepped forward and sat on the ledge. Isshin did the same.

"I didn't want to let on that I remembered in front of Ulquiorra or any of the others, for that matter."

Ichigo didn't respond. He was searching for the right words. He didn't want to be too blunt. "How long have you been here?" he asked.

"Since Ulquiorra k- Since I passed. How have Yuzu and Karin been?"

"They, well, I don't really know. Karin just keeps to herself most of the time, and Yuzu's the same she's been, except a little quieter on the anniversary."

"And what about you?"

"I got your old position."

"Really? When did you learn your zanpakuto's name?"

"A few minutes after you passed."

Disappointment swept Isshin's face. Ichigo thought that he was upset that he had missed that event by just a few minutes.

"So, how was the squad?"

Ichigo began to tell him about Toshiro's new appointment, but he wasn't sure if he would get to keep it. He talked about some of the other captains, what became of Isshin's old seated officers, and some of the big battles that Seiretei has had since then. It was kind of sad as Ichigo was describing the past two hundred years when he realized that he wouldn't be allowed to go back. Nothing would ever be the same again.

When he finished talking, Ichigo sat in silence for a while. Then, gathering the courage, Ichigo asked, "How did you end up here?"

Isshin stared out at the sand for a while. He seemed calm and sad at the same time.

"When Ulquiorra...finished me, his sword transported a replica of my body back here, I guess. It's long and complicated to fully explain. I was weak, and had trouble keeping shape, so I was out in some kind of container. I stayed there for about a decade. Most of the time when someone is born as an Arrancar, they lose all their memories from their previous life. There are a few that still remember, like Grimmjow. He's the Sixth Espada, the one with the blue hair. Anyway, I remembered, too. But I kept it a secret. See, since I still remember who I really am, I still feel compelled to the job of a Soul Reaper. If the others knew that, I don't know what they'd do to me, but I know it wouldn't be good." He paused for a bit to let the words sink in.

"I entered as any normal Arrancar would. If I could, I would have left here the moment I was given the chance, but I realized that it wouldn't mean anything. Where would I go? It's not like I can go live in the Real world, and I can't go to Soul Society, so I stayed here and waited. Instead of leaving, I decided that I would try to sneak my way up the ladder and maybe get close enough to the top to kill whoever was in charge. I never really knew who was top dog until a few months ago. One day, Aizen, Gin, and Kaname all showed, and everyone that had been there longer than me acknowledged them. The Aizen went and proclaimed himself King of Las Noches, and here we are. I'm so close to the top of the chart, I couldn't afford to have my cover blown, so I had to pretend that I didn't know you. Sorry if I hurt you."

"No, it's okay," Ichigo said. "I understand."

Silence came again.

"Hey, what's an Acomunarse thing, or whatever it is?"

Isshin looked at Ichigo. "It means like you're a prospect. An Arrancar-to-be."

Immediately, Ichigo was on his feet. "What?!" he said, almost a little too loud. Isshin stood up too and put a hand over Ichigo's mouth.

"Hey! Watch your volume!" Slowly, Isshin removed his hand, but Ichigo's breathing was sharp.

"I'm going to be an Arrancar? How did this happen?"

Isshin pointed to Ichigo's neck. "It started when you got that mark. That's what Ulquiorra had meant when he said 'You'll do just fine.' He was recruiting you."

Suddenly, Ichigo understood. Everything seemed to make sense. That hollow that appeared inside him...that was his hollow power. The dark reiatsu that he used for Getsuga Tenshou...that was cero. What brought him to Hueco Mundo...that was his Arrancar side pushing him forward. And when he went blank while fighting Ulquoirra...his Arrancar power was awakening. He couldn't do anything to stop it now, he realized. It was too late for that. This change...this unwanted change...he didn't want anything to do with it...but it was inevitable.

"Ichigo..." Isshin started, but Ichigo held up a hand to stop him.

"Just...Let's just stop for now...I'm tired." At first, Isshin was reluctant, but he ended up leading Ichigo back to the room. Before they left, though, Isshin whispered to Ichigo, "Don't hint anything about me remembering you, okay?" With a silent nod, Ichigo followed him back to the room. Quietly, Ichigo slipped back in his bed, allowing a restless sleep to overtake him, hoping that in his dreams, he wouldn't be reminded of the fact that he would turn into an Arrancar.


	9. Escape

The days passed. He kept count of them in his head.

_I've been in Las Noches for two weeks now,_ he reminded himself. He remembered what Ulquiorra had said. He would become one of them in a week. There was nothing he could do to escape it. What was he going to do? He didn't want to change. He wanted to go back to Soul Society. He wanted his position as captain back. He wanted to see his sisters. He wanted to congratulate Toshiro for becoming captain once more. He wanted to be free of this curse. He wanted so much, it all piled in side him until Ichigo felt that he was going to explode. It wasn't fair. Why him? Why now? Nothing would be the same. It never would.

The worst part of it, though, was that Ichigo would lose himself in the process. Most Arrancar lose their memories from before. Ichigo would forget all that he longed for, all that he loved. He could see himself attacking Soul Society, and all of his old friends would plead with him, asking him to remember the old days, but he wouldn't remember, and he would cut them down. He couldn't stand for something like that to happen. He would forget that Isshin was his dad. Imagine, living with someone that you love, them pretending not to remember you when you had no clue of the truth. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

_I need to get out of here!_

Every night since he had arrived at Las Noches, Ichigo and Isshin would pretend not to know each other during the day, but every night, they would sneak off while everyone was sleeping to that balcony and talk. It was the only thing that Ichigo looked forward to anymore. Aside from that, he had become a hollow shell, nothing passing through him. He was almost always silent, except for when spoken to. He didn't go anywhere, laying on his bed hour after hour after uneventful hour.

It was maddening.

For two weeks, this was the routine, and it became tiresome. Most excused his behavior as a result of leaving Soul Society. But Isshin knew what was the real cause of it.

"You need to stop moping all the time," Isshin said. They were outside on one of their nightly talks. Ichigo was staring out to the never-ending sand. "Some of them are getting suspicious of it."

Nothing.

"Ichigo..." Isshin reached over and put a hand on his son. For the first time in a few days, Ichigo looked at him, but his eyes were still empty. "Pull yourself together!" Something snapped.

"That's easy for you to say! You didn't spend weeks knowing what you were going to turn into trapped in a place that was impossible to leave! You didn't have to live with that! Every minute, I'm reminded of what will happen, and it's something I can't change. I'm not used to that, and it hurts! I don't want to be an Arrancar..."

Everything had just come out of nowhere, and it was a complete surprise to both of them. Isshin was shocked at his son's sudden outburst, a little hurt by his words. Ichigo was surprised that that had even come out. He was so upset by everything, he began to sob.

This was something Isshin had never seen before, his son crying. It was the first time that Ichigo had sobbed in front of him, and Isshin suddenly realized how much this was really upsetting Ichigo. He didn't know what to say to comfort him. Instead, Isshin backed away, letting Ichigo deal with it himself.

_Pitiful._ That's what Ichigo thought of himself. He had gone under from the life he was living. Everything was different. And for the first time, a terrifying thought flew Ichigo's head. _I wish I could die._ It was the first time he had ever thought that, and he really believed it. He could see no other way out. Nothing else would work.

As if in response to the thought, Isshin walked toward his son and said in a firm voice, "Ichigo, you can't give up!" Ichigo stopped sobbing and looked up. He was ashamed of his reaction to all this. It felt uncomfortable for him to react like this. When his dad died, he took out his anger and sadness on Ulquiorra. He never shed a tear before, and now he did. Ichigo calmed his face, but he still hurt inside.

Isshin was still, as if thinking of a plan to get Ichigo out of here. And one came to him. He almost physically kicked himself for not thinking of it earlier, but he did inside.

"I'm going to get you out of here," he muttered, just loud enough for Ichigo to hear.

"What?"

"I said that I'm getting you out of here."

"How?"

"I'll explain later, but for now, follow me."

Isshin began to lead Ichigo through staircases and halls that he had yet to see. It took about half an hour to travel as much as they did, but when they stopped, there was a door. It was different than the Ichigo had seen before. It was tall, but it was plain. They were just pure white, even the round handles. Isshin was careful when opening the door. Inside, it was dark, except for little lights poking out of the wall every few intervals, but they barely gave off any light. On the far side, there was a white square that looked like it was made of stone or marble (it was hard to tell in the dim light).

"You _do_ have everything that you brought with you with you, right?" Isshin asked. Ichigo checked once more that Zangetsu was strapped across his back and confirmed it.

"Alright, here we go." Isshin walked toward the stone square with Ichigo right behind him. The other side was different from the room they were just in. It was entirely black, and there seemed to be no difference between having your eyes open or closed. Ichigo heard Isshin say something under his breath, and a light opened before them. It started out as a thin line running from left to right, then it gradually got taller.

"Be prepared for anything," the Arrancar warned. Ichigo nodded, although he had no idea what was going on. Then, as the piece of light grew taller, Ichigo was able to make out shapes. It looked like a house, someplace familiar. It was dark outside, and a little light could be seen just on the other side of the front door. Soon, Ichigo realized where they were.

"What are we doing here?!" he whispered frantically. "You just took me right back to Soul Society!"

It was true. The pair was standing in front of the Kurosaki house in Soul Society, where Yuzu and Karin should be right now.

"We're picking up your sisters."

"And then what? Get caught!? This is crazy!"

"Ssh!"

Stealthily, Isshin snuck up to the front door and opened it without making a noise, and Ichigo rushed to his side. The inside of the house was exactly as Ichigo had remembered it, except something was different. He couldn't place it.

Then a voice could be heard coming from the kitchen. Another voice responded to it.

"Do you think we should go?" That was Yuzu's voice.

"Go where?" Karin.

"Toshiro invited us to live with him, but I'm not sure. This is our home, and it has so many memories from before. I kind of don't want to leave it..."

"Yeah, but it's kind of creepy. It's been so empty for the past couple of weeks. Maybe we should go. It's better that way, not to be reminded of the past. It's really sad."

"But still..."

So Toshiro invited them to live with him? It made sense; he was like a brother to them. Ichigo liked that idea, but then thinking of how they had each left this house one by one until no one lived in it...Ichigo couldn't stand that. Ichigo waited to see if they would continue the conversation, but when they didn't Isshin began to creep down the hallway. He stopped a few feet in front of the kitchen doorway. He signaled to Ichigo, and he seemed to get a sense of the plan.

They were going to run.

It felt like it was Ichigo's turn to take part in the plan, and he began to walk to Yuzu and Karin. Isshin didn't stop him. But Ichigo stopped himself just in front of the door. What was he going to say to them? What about his dad? How was he going to explain all that? He became nervous. Then Yuzu spoke up.

"I wish Ichigo was here."

"I do, too," Karin agreed.

Those two statements gave Ichigo enough courage to walk through the door. He stopped a feet inside. His sisters had their backs turned to him, and they hadn't noticed his presence yet. He wondered how he should let them know. Before he could think of a solution, Isshin made a funny cough sound from out in the hall.

"What was that?"

The sisters turned their heads at the same time, and their faces lit up, both with disbelief and happiness. Ichigo smiled at them.

"Ichigo!" they yelled, and they ran to him. "Ichigo, what happened?" "Toshiro wouldn't tell us anything!" "We were really worried!" "Idiot, why didn't you come back sooner?!" Back and forth they went, happy to see their brother again. When he didn't answer them, Karin asked, "Hey, why won't you talk to us?"

"Well...I have something, or rather someone, I want you to see." Ichigo walked out to the hall and grabbed Isshin, who didn't protest, although he did look a little self-conscious.

A little timidly, Isshin greeted them, "Hey."

"No way" was on their mouths, but they didn't verbalize it. In the same night, they had seen both their brother and father. It was almost impossible.

"Dad..." Karin said, barely audible. "Daddy!" Yuzu cried as she ran over to him, and Karin did the same. "No way!"

Isshin gave a laugh, the one that Ichigo remembered him giving. "I missed you guys so much," he said as he hugged them tightly, trying to make up for the past two hundred hug-less years. Still embracing Isshin, Karin looked at Ichigo and stuttered:

"H-How did y-you-" Ichigo cut her off.

"Someone's coming."

The happiness stopped as they listened for a while. "Hey, Yuzu, Karin, are you guys in?" It was Toshiro.

How were they going to explain that two of Toshiro's ex-captains were standing in the room, one supposedly dead and the other in line for execution? With a silent agreement, Ichigo and Isshin rushed to a door that took them outside. When they were outside, they were surprised that they had been followed.

"What are you two doing?!" Ichigo hissed, trying not to alert Toshiro.

"We just got to see you again, and you're leaving? That's not fair!" Yuzu countered. "Wherever you're going, we're going, too!" Ichigo looked at his dad for help. His expression almost yelled, "That was the plan."

_You've got to be kidding me!_ Ichigo thought. Where were they supposed to go, exactly? Two out of three worlds were ruled out, leaving one-

"Oh, no way!" Ichigo blurted, but froze. Had Toshiro heard that? He could hear footsteps. And they were getting closer.

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh shit!!_ This was _not_ good. He looked around for an exit, but he couldn't find one. They were trapped, a feeling that Ichigo had grown accustomed to in the past two weeks, but he still didn't like it. Toshiro was going to find them. What would he do? Would he be a captain, or be their friend? Capture them, or let them leave? Either way, Ichigo didn't want to be found out. He just knew that Toshiro would make a big deal out of it. He held his breath. The footsteps got louder, then stopped altogether. Ichigo knew that the door was going to open, and he waited for it. He waited and waited. But it didn't open. Finally, the footsteps could be heard growing softer. Ichigo exhaled. They were safe.

For now.

He waited until he was sure that Toshiro was gone, then he spoke. "Where are we going?"

Isshin smirked. "Where do you think?"


	10. New Start

**A/N:Before you get to read, I just want to thank you guys for the awesome reviews you leave me. Thank you! And I hope I don't disappoint you in the future! Enjoy!**

Ichigo woke with a start.

He lay in his bed, the sun shining over him through the window. He looked to his left. The clock read six A.M. Today was a Tuesday. It was also his first day as a high schooler.

Last night was almost a blur. Almost. He and his family had arrived in the Real World in front of a run down shop named "Urahara Shop." They were greeted by a man with a green-and-white striped hat with a fan in front of his face, and he acted annoyingly. Ichigo almost couldn't take it, but he did. The man introduced himself as Kisuke Urahara, and he nice enough to give them a house that was fully furnished. It was strange, that the man had known Ichigo's dad, but he didn't push it. It was a plus that when they got there, there was already clothes waiting for them, and there was a note saying where Ichigo and his sisters were going to school, when they started, and it also had a background plan for them as well. It even had an occupation for Isshin. He would run a medical clinic from home. Seemed simple enough, since Isshin was familiar with how the fourth squad did things.

Ichigo got dressed in his school uniform and took his bag, which was already stocked with his supplies, downstairs. Yuzu was already down, and breakfast was ready. She had already gotten used to the life, well, as much as anyone could in just one life. She seemed happy about making a new start. Although she didn't show it, Karin was probably excited, too.

"Goooooood Moooooorniiiiiing!!!" Isshin came down the stairs faster than normal. Although Ichigo was glad to be able to live with his dad again, he wished that he would be a little calmer. Isshin seemed to have a new energy, probably being reunited with his family. He was free of being an Arrancar, at least, he was in his gigai. He was free of having to serve under Aizen. Wait...what about his plan to overthrow him? Oh, well, it would have to wait. Right now, they were all happy, and Ichigo didn't want to be the one to ruin it. None of them mentioned anything to their old lives, nor let on that any of them missed. For the first time in a long time, Ichigo felt that everything was going to be normal.

"Uh, Ichigo?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Isn't it time for you to get to school?"

He looked towards the clock, and jumped out of his seat. "Holy crap! I'm gonna be late! See ya!" And the next second, the front door could be heard opening, then slammed shut.

_Gotta run, gotta run, gotta run, GOTTA RUN! _Ichigo kept pushing himself, although there were so many hills that he had to climb. It exhausted him. Soon, Karakura High School came into view, and Ichigo checked his watch. He had made it with five minutes to spare. Rushing inside, not wanting to push his luck, Ichigo found his classroom. He made just in time, too, because once he stepped in the room, class had started.

"Ah, there he is," came from the teacher, who was standing behind her desk.

"Uh, good morning," Ichigo greeted, then wondered if that was too formal.

"Good morning," she repeated, pleased by his politeness.

Ichigo walked cautiously toward her desk, aware of the many eyes following him. He didn't look at them. It felt almost like it had when he started at the Shinigami Academy, everyone staring at him. The only difference was that none of these students knew of his dad's position, and they probably, no, they wouldn't have a clue about that even he were to tell them.

Ichigo stood next to his teacher's desk. "Turn to face the class," she whispered. Ichigo obeyed.

"Class, this is a new transfer student. His name is-" she looked down at a piece of paper, "-Ichigo Kurosaki." Without thinking, Ichigo bowed to the class. Again, he wondered of this was too formal. He rose, and noticed that the class was staring with questioning looks that shouted, "Is this guy for real?"

The teacher turned toward Ichigo and said loud enough for the whole room to hear, "Why don't you tell us a little about yourself, Ichigo?" Quickly and calmly, Ichigo recalled the story that Urahara had made up for him.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, and I just moved here from Kagoshima. My dad runs a local medical, and I live with him and my two sisters, Yuzu and Karin." He paused, not being able to remember the rest of the story, hoping that it would be enough. The teacher seemed to wait for him to say more, but when he didn't, she pointed Ichigo to a desk near the window. Swiftly, Ichigo made his way to his seat, with the glaring eyes still following him.

He ignored the students as the teacher began to teach them about the history of the Western world, and Ichigo found himself intrigued. He had never heard things like this before: colonization, slavery, inter-continental wars. It was all new to him. Unfortunately, he was called on to answer a question that he did not know. He remained silent, and the teacher cleared her throat. "Well?"

"Psst!" came from Ichigo's right. There was a girl with dark hair sitting next to him. With a pen, she pointed at her notebook where the supposed answer was. Without thinking, he repeated what he saw.

"1775."

"Yes, thank you." She began to continue the lesson, oblivious that the answer wasn't his own.

"Thank you," Ichigo whispered to the girl with the dark hair. She smiled.

"No problem. I could tell you were going to need some help. I'm Tatsuki Arisawa." Ichigo returned her smile.

He wanted to kick himself. It was the first day, and he had needed help. True, he was posing as a fifteen-year-old boy, but he was still a shinigami, and was a captain. He felt that he should be independent. Oh, well. It couldn't really be helped, but he still took a blow to his pride. It hurt a little.

The lesson continued, and they moved on to Language class. This one made a little more sense to Ichigo, but not much more. He had been taught to speak proper English, although he never used it much, but all the labels they each received: past participle, gerund, parenthetical phrase. None of it made any sense, and yet the rest of the class treated it as common knowledge. Now Ichigo really knew how much of a disadvantage he was at. He was probably going to have to ask Tatsuki or someone what it all meant, but casually. He didn't want to make his lack of knowledge public. That was too embarrassing.

Next was something with a bunch of numbers. It seemed that he understood this the most. Basically, it was a bunch of problems that could be solved using the right steps and logic. Ichigo had done some simple problems like this before, but not much. Toshiro had been better at this than he was, so he let his lieutenant take care of most of it.

Finally, it was lunch. Ichigo took the lunch that Yuzu had made for him (thank the lords, most of the stuff the other students were eating looked strange, and Ichigo dared not touch it) and walked around campus, looking for a good place to eat. He found a shady spot under a tree that resembled part of that garden back in Seiretei. He walked over slowly, remembering that place, remembering all that he had left behind. It looked just like it. The resemblance was almost unnatural.

"It looks just like it..." Ichigo muttered to himself, simply thinking out loud.

"What is?"

Ichigo nearly jumped out of his gigai, he was so scared. On the other side of the tree, there was a fence, marking the campus's border, and on top of that fence was Urahara.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Ichigo hissed, looking around to make sure that no one was watching. Then he moved closer, trying to hide himself behind the tree.

"I came to check if you were adjusting well. It seems as though you made a lot of friends." The shopkeeper's eyes looked past Ichigo, who looked in that direction as well. Coming behind him was Tatsuki, who was followed by a crowd of about six other students.

"Holy crap!" Ichigo turned back to Urahara and tried to push the man's head under the fencing, not wanting to be seen.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, OW! I get it! Well, then...Bye bye!" Within a second, Urahara was gone, and Ichigo let a relieved sigh escape. That was close.

"Hey, Ichigo!" Turning around yet again, Ichigo saw Tatsuki and her friends behind her, staring at him curiously. "What are you doing?" she asked.

_Crap._

"Nothing," he said. His calm expression quickly replaced his franticly surprised one.

"Uh, okay...Mind if we sit with you?" She gestured to the rest of her group, and they did seem sincere.

"No, it's fine with me."

"Alright!" They all took a place in the shade, arranging themselves in a circle. The other students began talking amongst themselves, leaving Ichigo out of most of the conversation. Occasionally, they would ask him something referring to the lessons, but he would give a vague answer, and they would leave him alone for a while.

Being quiet for most of the time, Ichigo was given time to think about himself. He wondered Toshiro had done, when he found out that Yuzu and Karin had left? Would he immediately guess that it was Ichigo, who had come back for them? Would he conduct a search throughout Soul Society? Or would he just think about them everyday, but not do anything to find them? Either way, he had made Toshiro worry. That alone was hard to live with, but nowadays, Ichigo had to live with a lot of things that were painful.

He wondered what would happen to him if he continued to ignore his hollow? Would it just come out one day and attack whoever was closest? Could it even take over his gigai? Was that possible? He decided to not think about that. It would be too depressing. Not like he hasn't gone through that phase.

Ichigo's neck tingled.

As if in response, Tatsuki asked, "Hey, Ichigo, where'd you get that mark?"

"Hm?"

"The one on your neck. How'd you get it?"

Crap. Urahara failed to supply a backup for that one. Ichigo had almost forgotten that his scar had come up on his gigai. Most everyone in Soul Society knew how he got it, and the few who didn't had always asked someone else, afraid of how he would have reacted to the question. He wasn't used to people asking about it. He looked around, noticing that everyone was interested in his answer. Then the most obvious reply came to his head.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

He could see disappointment in their eyes, and one of them was brave enough to ask, "Please?"

That seemed to stick a nerve somewhere, and Ichigo stood up to walk away from them. He took one look at them, then left, not bothering to thank them for sitting with him. He was angry. Didn't humans have any manners? It was common etiquette back home to not ask someone to talk about something they didn't want to. That seemed to be different here. While they were still within earshot, Ichigo muttered, "No sense," and continued walking. He didn't look back, not wanting to see their reaction. He started rubbing his neck, for the tingling had intensified.

"Hey!" Ichigo heard one of them call, but he didn't respond. "I said 'Hey!'" This time it was closer. Ichigo heard footsteps, although they were muffled by the grass, making soft thump sounds. Still, he didn't turn. He was too angry to talk to anyone.

"Hey!" they called one last time, placing a hand on Ichigo's shoulder at the same time. It took all he had not to throw the guy across the lawn. There were too many witnesses.

"What's your problem?" they asked. Ichigo had stopped walking, but still he refused to acknowledge him. "We just wanted to know what happened. You don't have to get so fired up over something like that. Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Finally, Ichigo turned to him, but only halfway, his eyes narrowed into slits. He gazed at the hand on his shoulder and said coldly, "If you have any sense of self-preservation, you'll take your hand off me and walk away....Now."

Ichigo's intense stare seemed to have frightened the student, even though it wasn't directed at him, because he gave a scared whimper and dropped his hand.

"Thank you," was Ichigo's last words to him. Still fuming, Ichigo entered the building and tried to find his classroom.

What had come over him? Ichigo usually wasn't that cold, not to mention angry. Maybe it was the new environment. Maybe something in the Real World had given him some human emotions that he hadn't realized. Now he had pissed off several classmates and alienated himself further from the others.

_I hope Yuzu and Karin are better off than I am._


	11. Enemies or Allies?

Ring....Ring....Ring....

"Ugh," Ichigo moaned, searching for the snooze button on his alarm clock. Finally giving up on his search, Ichigo sat up and pressed the off button. The sunlight was peeking into Ichigo's room, barely, but still there. He looked around his room. Ichigo and his family had been in the Real World for a few days now, but he still can't over the one simple fact that they're there! Everything has just been a blur for the past few weeks, it all seems so impossible. There was Toshiro's promotion, the Arrancar attack, his death sentence, his two weeks in Las Noches, breaking into his own home to pick up his sisters, and now he was living in the World of the Living, although he barely had time to enjoy it, what with all the schoolwork he had to go through. None of his family had been any help; Isshin just smiled goofily, and Yuzu and Karin were just learning the primary school basics. Ichigo had _tried_ to ask Tatsuki or one of the other guys at school, but none were as open nor friendly as they had once been. It was his reaction during lunch on his first day. He had yet to apologize, and because of it, they felt farer off. Just sitting in the classroom, he could feel the distance. Maybe he would apologize today. The distance didn't feel good.

Ichigo went through the morning routine he had built for himself and went downstairs. Yuzu already had breakfast on the table, where the rest of the family had gathered. Feeling a need to get to school as quickly as he could, Ichigo scarfed down his food, leaving his family with their half-empty plates. He was out the door before they could say anything.

Walking to school had become easier than it was on his first day. The hills soon felt like little bumps, and what seemed like half-an-hour before was now but a mere five minutes. When Ichigo walked into his classroom, it was almost empty; only a few other students were present. One of them was exactly the person that Ichigo had wanted to speak with: Tatsuki.

Walking quickly to her seat, Ichigo thought how he would apologize. A few introductory sentences flashed through his head, and that was as far as he got.

"Hi, Tatsuki," Ichigo greeted.

"Uh, hi." She seemed uncomfortable talking to him.

All that Ichigo had thought of earlier had flown out the window. To improvise, he put it bluntly.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I said I'm sorry. About what happened at lunch the other day. I'm not used to people asking me about...about this," he touched his scar, "and I just got a little touchy. I'm sorry if I offended you guys. I'm sorry."

Tatsuki didn't speak for a while, but after a moment's thought, she accepted the apology.

"Thanks."

While they talked, Ichigo couldn't help but notice that they were being watched. Subtly, Ichigo would glance around the room, looking for the watcher, but wouldn't be able to search for long, else Tatsuki would get suspicious. Finally, the culprit, or rather, _culprits_, were found. Sitting in the corner of the room across Ichigo were four students that Ichigo had never noticed before, and they were watching him. Each face held a different expression, but that didn't make their stares any less intimidating. Quickly, Ichigo looked away.

"Hey, Tatsuki, who are those four in the corner?" Tentatively, Tatsuki looked over, curious to Ichigo's sudden question, and apprehensive face.

"Oh, them. They're just some students that only come in every few days, or so." She began to name each one. The first one, a blond, slender male with his hair cut to his shoulders was Shinji. His expression was one of unfriendly curiosity. The second was also a male, with short silver hair and large, but not bulky, shoulder muscles. He was looking at Ichigo with a smug toughness, maybe with a bit of disgust. His name was Kensei. Then there was a girl with long black hair pulled into a braid behind her back, and glasses framing her dark eyes, which looked at Ichigo with interest, but although her eyes had such intensity, they also showed a little boredom. This was Risa. The last was a girl, as well, but she was different from the others; she was more bubbly than the others. She had short, straight green hair that framed her face, and in her eyes was innocent curiosity, and her name was Mashiro.

"I think that they all live together, with a few other people, too, but I'm not sure. Anyway, don't let them freak you out. They're all bark and no bite."

Although Ichigo wanted to believe the words that came out of Tatsuki's mouth, he couldn't help but feel as though they were dangerous. Class started for the day, and the being-watched feeling continued to attack Ichigo throughout the day, proving that the group was still watching him. It was nerve racking at best. Even during lunch, Ichigo couldn't get through two minutes without the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Although Tatsuki had said not to, Ichigo still freaked out....just a little.

Relief flooded Ichigo's system as class ended for the day. He couldn't wait to get out of the room, only because of Shinji and his group. Half-walking, half-running, Ichigo left class and the school in an unnecessary rush to get home. However, he didn't even get a few feet off the school grounds when he heard someone clear their throat. Hesitantly, Ichigo turned to see Shinji, Kensei, Risa, and Mashiro all standing behind him, watching.

"Can I help you with something?" Ichigo said, a little rudely. They stared harder.

"Follow us," Shinji instructed, not giving Ichigo any choice. At least, if they were taking him to some dark alley to beat him up, or something (Ichigo had been watching a little too much TV at home), Ichigo was sure that he could take them. They didn't seem too tough, except for Kensei, but Ichigo would bet his freedom that they never had Shinigami training. So long as there weren't witnesses, Ichigo would do just about anything to defend himself.

They led him a few miles west of the school, taking a turn here or there. How far were they going to take him? Just when Ichigo was about to ask, they stopped. They were standing in front of a large, abandoned warehouse, with busted windows and rusting metal doors. Kensei walked forward and pulled the side door open, letting the steel door scream. Walking inside, Ichigo met four new faces.

There were three older males and one younger girl. The girl looked unnecessarily violent, with large brown eyes staring hard at Ichigo. She snarled, showing a little fang poking out of the left corner of her mouth. Then there was a round man with pink hair. Then there were two tall ones, looking like they were both in their mid-twenties. One had long, wavy, blond hair, with a sad but beautiful face. The last one was tall, with a green neck sweater, and a pointed afro, with silver sunglasses. They all stared at Ichigo with the same intensity as the others.

"Take a seat," the pink-haired man said amicably. Looking around, Ichigo found a lone box and sat tentatively, watching the others warily. They sat down across from him on a various multitude of things. Shinji was the first to speak.

"So....Ichigo Kurosaki...."

"What about me?"

"Shinigami."

_....What?!_ Of all the words in the world, Shinji said that one, the one that best described the past that he was trying so hard to hide.

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, trying to hide his surprise.

"Don't play dumb. We know you know what we're talking about, and we know about you from Urahara, so don't mess around with us."

Urahara? What was that old fart doing with these guys? And what made him mention Ichigo to them? Why would he do that?

"Don't worry about it," the wavy blond said, "we're actually here to help you."

Now Ichigo was more confused than ever. Well, maybe not _ever_, but the confusion was great. "How are you going to help _me_?"

"Easy!" Mashiro exclaimed. "We're gonna help you with your hollow!"

And now there was more confusion. "Wha-How?!"

"We're all Shinigami that have obtained Hollow powers," Shinji explained. "Otherwise known as Vizards."

Shocked, Ichigo studied them all. These people apparently had Hollows in them, too, but they were in complete control. At least, that's what Ichigo assumed. If that's true....he could be safe from turning into an Arrancar. He liked that plan.

"Okay," Ichigo said, as a form of giving them permission to help him. "When do we start?"

"Right-" Shinji disappeared for a brief second, then reappeared a few feet in front of Ichigo, arm extended, zanpakuto glimmering in what little light was in the warehouse, "-now."


	12. Control

**A/N: Sorry, it seems like it's been forever since I had posted a chapter to me. I had a History project I had to get started on. It's for National History Day, but then I found out that it wasn't due for some months, so I got to finish the chapter. Tell me what you thought about it! Please, anything is welcome. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy! ;D**

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"Come on, get up!" Shinji yelled. "I want to see what you got!"

They were underneath the abandoned basement in a room that looked much like a mountainous landscape, with a blue sky overhead. On the ground, Ichigo was "fighting" Shinji, but the Vizard hadn't even given him a chance to prepare. It was impossible for him to get out of his gigai with Shinji attacking every two seconds.

"Will you wait for a minute?!" Ichigo shouted back, dodging yet another one of Shinji's attacks, letting the blade strike the ground, leaving a large gash in it. "I have to get out of this gigai first!" Shinji paused.

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?" He let Ichigo have enough time to get into spirit form. Ichigo couldn't help but be reminded of the past as he did so; he was still wearing his captain's haori. Without thinking, he tore it off his back and threw it to the ground. Then he grabbed Zangetsu off his back and took a fighting stance.

"I have a question, first," Ichigo stated. "How is this going to help me?"

"Urahara told us that your Hollow took over before. We're going to draw it out, then suppress it." Before could object, Shinji lunged at him with all his force. This is where the real fight began. Ichigo held up Zangetsu to block it, causing the two blades to clash. Both pushed the other, creating a heavy tension between them. Finally, Ichigo jumped back, landing a few yards away, however, Shinji was fast, and managed to catch up to Ichigo before he landed completely.

The fight continued, and Ichigo felt like it had happened before. Now he realized that it had fallen into the same as his fight back at the Academy was one his first with that seated officer. Except, things were different now. They were using real zanpakuto this time, and they weren't just fighting to measure Ichigo's skill. If this were to become a major fight, and that thing _did_ come out, who knows what would happen? But it's not like Ichigo had the chance to back out now. Shinji just kept coming at him, swing after endless swing. Ichigo's arm had become sore from blocking all those attacks one after another. Several times already Shinji's blade had evaded Ichigo's defenses and managed to cut him somewhere. There were scratches up and down both his arms, even a few slashes across his chest, and one mark on his left cheek. Shinji didn't even have a mark on him! How much longer was this to continue? It already seemed like hours, but Ichigo couldn't be sure. The sky in the underground room was never-changing, as though time never passed. His family would start to worry if he wasn't home before dinner. Or had Urahara told them about this?

Ichigo's mind began to wander, and Shinji found the opening. He thrust his sword through the air, piercing Ichigo's chest near his right shoulder. They both stopped moving. The blade had cut through Ichigo's body, and could be seen on the other side, slowly dripping red blood. The pain itself was terrible. Slowly, Shinji withdrew his zanpakuto from Ichigo's body, then pointed it at his neck. Ichigo didn't move.

Shinji waited, as if expecting the Hollow to emerge. It was trying to, Ichigo could feel it this time. He could feel it twist and turn inside him, lashing at Ichigo's consciousness violently, attempting to take control, but Ichigo was fighting hard. Apparently, Shinji could tell what was happening, because he tried to provoke it further. He drew back his katana and prepared for another attack. It seemed like forever to Ichigo as he watched the blade swing through the air, coming at his left shoulder. Trying to dodge the attack and fight the Hollow at the same time was impossible. What was he going to do? Allow more pain, maybe even a severed arm, or was he going to preserve himself by allowing a creature to take over his body? Ichigo's mind tossed in confusion, and every thought seemed to merge together, no one thought distinct. One more lash, and the Hollow would win. The blade just wouldn't come any closer, giving Ichigo more time to torture under the circumstances. Finally, the blade came faster, and Ichigo fell to darkness once more.

He woke in his inner world and found Zangetsu standing over him. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Why should I be?" Ichigo retorted. "That thing is in control! And I have no idea what it's doing!"

For a while, Zangetsu was silent, then he started to walk away, indicating for Ichigo to follow. Still upset, Ichigo followed the zanpakuto spirit. They went far across the many skyscrapers, hoping from one to another, occasionally turning the world so that they could walk on the rooftops. It was while the gravitational pull was normal that Ichigo noticed the sky. It was no longer the bright blue it had once; it was gradually turning to a dark blood-red. _Does this happen every time it takes over?_ As though he was reading Ichigo's thoughts, Zangetsu answered, "This is what happens to the world while he is in control. When it turns completely red, he gains full power."

"How long does that take?" Ichigo inquired.

"About ten minutes." Ichigo had been in here for about that amount of time. He wondered how Shinji was doing against the Hollow. What would happen if he couldn't beat it? Would it just keep going, or would it allow Ichigo control once more? The latter seemed impossible; the Hollow seemed too power-hungry. It would stay dominate for as long as it could.

Becoming anxious, Ichigo was about to ask Zangetsu how much longer, but then something caught his attention, something that was out of place; unusual. It was a door. Not once had Ichigo seen a door in here, and now one decided to appear? Zangetsu led Ichigo through the door into darkness. Ichigo's eyes never adjusted to the darkness; it was pitch-black. Nothing could be seen, no shape could be made out. The only reason Ichigo didn't get lost was because he was holding onto the back of Zangetsu's cloak. How Zangetsu was able to guide Ichigo through was a mystery to him.

But wait. Far ahead, Ichigo could see a small speck of light. Dim as it was, it was still light. Ichigo quickened his pace, causing Zangetsu pick up speed in turn. Soon enough, the small speck turned into a rectangular doorway, and then into a room. It was illuminated with low candles spaced several feet on any wall, and they gave off a strange light-blue glow instead of the normal flame. In the middle of the large room, there seemed to be some kind of platform, and Ichigo could see someone standing on it. Whoever it was had a figure similar to his, but it wasn't him. Instead, it was the Hollow.

It stood straight, its arm extended in either direction, with its back facing Ichigo. Now being able to see, Ichigo released his hold on Zangetsu and rushed over to it. What was it doing? What was the platform for? Rushing forward, Ichigo could now see another light, this one much brighter, coming from in front of the Hollow. It looked similar to a TV, and seemed to work in the same. Ichigo looked to the Hollow's face, finding the eyes closed and the expression peaceful, as if asleep, but also as though it was having a dream, one of great enjoyment and triumph. Returning his gaze to the TV-like screen, Ichigo watched it. He recognized several figures. One was Shinji. Coming from behind him were some of the other Vizards, the others out of sight. Shinji had staggered back, as if shocked from an attack, then recomposed himself in time to join the others in their charge. Then near the bottom of the screen came a blade, which released an attack like Getsuga Tenshou, except much bigger, throwing all of them away from the source.

The Hollow's face turned to a smirk.

Now Ichigo understood. This room, that platform, it was like a control center. And whoever had control of the platform had control of the body. Why it was like this didn't matter, just so long as Ichigo got control again.

He was about to knock the Hollow off the platform when Zangetsu spoke:

"Wait."

"Why?! Why should I?"

"Watch."

At first, Ichigo thought that he had meant the screen, which was apparently what the Hollow was seeing, but then realized he was wrong. The Hollow itself began to quiver, as if an earthquake was taking place under its feet, then it stopped. The Hollow walked off the platform to Ichigo with a devilish expression. Ichigo thought he could seize this opportunity to take control once again, but there was an.....essence? of the Hollow still standing on the platform.

Was it possible to be in both worlds at once? How could it be on the inside and the outside? What had happened? Question after question came, but there was no time for an answer. Ichigo looked to the screen and found that another had appeared next to the first. This one showed something different, though. It was confused and a little frightened, staring hard at one spot off to the side, the breathing looking uneven and shallow from anxiety. Then Ichigo realized what he was seeing was himself. Then he slowly looked to the Hollow before him, meeting its yellow eyes. What was going on?

Glancing back to the first screen, Ichigo saw the others still fighting. Everytime they got back up, they would get cut down once again. The vision jerked some, and red splashed across the screen. The others had attacked from behind. Smart planning, but was it enough? No, the Hollow kept going. So did the Vizards.

"Ichigo!" Shinji yelled. "I know you can hear me!"

Ichigo stared hard at Shinji. What was he going to say? Although Ichigo already had a good idea of what it was.

"You have to fight it! We had to, too! Now it's your turn!" The whole time he was speaking, Shinji was holding an attack from the Hollow with his own sword, and was yelling straight at him. The whole screen filled with his figure.

"You can do it!"

Something dropped in Ichigo's already-clenched fists. It was his zanpakuto, Zangetsu. Ichigo looked, and saw that the spirit version of Zangetsu had disappeared. He looked to the Hollow, its menacing glare still on him. It, too, held a blade.

_Now what?!_


	13. Victory or Defeat?

**Just a friendly reminder to please review. I really do enjoy reading them, and I feel proud of myself when I get one, no matter what the content. Right now, it seems a little pitiful to me that I have only fourteen reviews, but I have a lot of readers. Please review and add as a favorite, and all those things. Please. It might not be a lot, but I'll give a shout-out to all those that comment on this chapter. Also, I have posted a new poll on my profile regarding this fiction. If you wish to have a say in the future story line (which I have not written yet), please submit. There are only three choices, and it is not a very difficult question, but I won't tell you what it is. If you want to know the question, you have to check out the poll. Please and thank you! Enjoy!**

The terrible menacing eyes stared hard at Ichigo, a look of violent instinct crossing the face that Ichigo had come to hate. Why were they to fight? This was Ichigo's body, he should be the rightful owner, not some....some _monster_. He should just push the essence off the control platform and take his rightful spot. But he couldn't. Not with that thing staring at him, a long, lethal weapon in its tight grasp. It would attack as soon as Ichigo moved. He could tell that much.

Trying to think of some kind of plan would be the sensible thing to do, but once in the position, it was impossible. Not while Ichigo could hear Shinji and the others fighting the creature on the outside. Plus, the Hollow wasn't going to give any time to think of one. The first ghost of plan entered Ichigo's head, and the Hollow struck at that moment.

With lightning speed, it lunged at Ichigo, sword first, and a fight-hungry yell screamed from its throat with such pleasure, it was sickening, even maddening. The loud sound of blade against blade echoed throughout the hall, the ringing lingering in Ichigo's ears. The Hollow kept pushing Ichigo, back, back, and the candles soon began to disappear. Soon, it was completely dark, and Ichigo finally felt the force against Zangetsu lift. This was good, but bad at the same time. Now Ichigo had no idea where that thing could be. Logic came to his mind as Ichigo began to walk back the way he had been pushed, back to where he could still hear the yells of the others. But the Hollow must have anticipated that.

No sound was made, but a deep slash cut Ichigo's back as he fell to the ground. It hurt. It hurt, but Ichigo was still able to get up, this time he ran, despite the pain that pulsed through his body. He could hear his own blood splattering against the floor. What would that maniac do next? Ichigo didn't wait around to find out.

His already-rapid pace quickened. The blood soon began to rush faster, the splattering becoming more and more frequent. At this rate, he would bleed to death. What would happen to his body if he died? Would it keep going under control of the Hollow, or would it die along with him? Wait, why were these thoughts coming to Ichigo in the first place? He wasn't intending on dying now. Not here, not when his family was waiting for him to come back. They already had been in so much strife, they did not need anymore. If anymore were added now, what would happen to them? Ichigo stopped thinking about that.

_It won't happen...Not to them..._

He didn't realize that he had stopped running until he noticed that the rhythmic beat of his blood had ceased. Taking a deep breath, Ichigo turned away from the yells of Shinji, Risa, Mashiro, Rose, all of them. He turned to face the darkness and the creature lurking within. He turned to face a power-hungry, blood-thirsty monster that planned on taking his body no matter what. Who knows? He may have even turned to face death itself. But whatever thought crossed Ichigo's mind, not one of those deterred him from turning and facing the enemy. He had to much at stake to just run away and wait for it to find him, bringing his end. No, he would fight down to the last minute.

Taking a stance, Ichigo closed his eyes, not that it made much difference in the lighting, and listened. He could hear his own pulse after a while, beating hard from he adrenaline that surged through his body, but even that seemed to fade after a few minutes. Nothing made a sound, but Ichigo still held his stance, ready to attack and/or defend against anything that posed a threat.

Who knows how long he really stood there, listening, waiting...Not even Ichigo could say, but finally, a small shuffle, no matter how slight, sounded a few yards in front of Ichigo and to the left. Without hesitation, Ichigo slashed Zangetsu through the air horizontally, releasing a Getsuga Tenshou toward the shuffle, then the sound of something hitting a wall sounded, but it wasn't just Ichigo's attack. A demented chuckle rang throughout the air, sounding louder than it really was compared to the complete silence that had come before. Soft footsteps, ever so soft, but rapid, came towards Ichigo, but still his eyes remained closed. He instead chose to listen, trying to follow any pattern that could be heard. He already realized that it was virtually impossible to predict its moves on sight alone. Since this was pretty much true, he decided to strengthen his other senses, mainly hearing.

The footsteps were close now, not but a few feet away, and the distance between them was decreasing quickly. Tensing, Ichigo carefully timed his swing, hoping he would hit something. Relief came over him when he felt something come into contact with Zangetsu, and he could hear a slice at his left, and this time, it wasn't on him.

Ichigo jumped back, putting distance between himself and the enemy, still keeping his eyes closed. The only thing that could be heard was the faint splatter of blood, some from Ichigo, some from the _thing_. He waited, waited, for the pattern of falling blood to quicken or get heavier, but it did not. Instead, it got fainter, farther away, like the Hollow was falling back. Although any smart person would be wary, Ichigo rushed toward the brighter area, being guided by his hearing. Through his eyelids, he could see light come through, and now he opened his eyes. He could see the screens showing the Hollows vision just ahead, the essence still standing. Running faster, Ichigo was in the light, the Hollow now posing less of a threat by just that much.

But there was something there that Ichigo had not expected. The very thing he was running from, the Hollow stood there in the light as well. So this was where it went when the spatter faded. Its expression was excited, ready to start a huge battle, wanting to cause damage.

It wanted to kill.

_Damn it,_ Ichigo thought. _Is there no running from it?_ Figuring this was true, Ichigo faced it, and prepared to fight, and this time, he wouldn't run the second he had the chance. The Hollow smirked in pleasure at this, happy to see that Ichigo was willing to fight back, and the real fight began.

With amazing agility, the two lunged at the other, throwing their entire bodies into their blows, always coming out in a tie. They tried the same things at the same time. They aimed for the same blows. They blocked in the same way. It was though they were copying each other. Their power levels were the same, although the Hollow always showed greater intensity and ferocity behind each attack.

_How much longer can this go on?_

Getting frustrated, Ichigo jumped back and, throwing as much as he could, released the greatest Getsuga Tenshou he ever had done before in shikai. The Hollow looked surprised, as though he had not anticipated this, but that lasted for only a second as his expression changed to excitement. However, Ichigo couldn't see its expression any longer. Getsuga Tenshou had landed, causing a large cloud of dust to appear. Tense, Ichigo anticipated another attack. Sure enough, it came. From the dust cloud came the monster, which released a blood-curdling scream, sword swinging wildly in front of it. Without thinking, Ichigo readjusted his stance, and yelled.

"Bankai!"

Tensa Zangetsu appeared in Ichigo's grasp as he swung towards his opponent, which allowed another bit of surprise to surface on _its_ face. Wild swings from both sides came as the two of them fought ultimately for survival. Ichigo knew that if he didn't win, he'd die. If he did win, he would destroy the Hollow, once and for all. Both of them swung, blocked, dodged, and much more. They moved so fast that soon enough, they became a blur, then nothing could be seen aside from the occasional sparks of blade against blade. Ichigo was ready to go on, but froze when he noticed that Hollow had stopped. Confused, Ichigo observed it, looking for some kind of hint, or a sign. Then he saw it, something that gave him faith that he _could_ win this. Proudly, Ichigo saw that he had cut off the Hollow's left foot.

Finally, it had let it's guard down, and Ichigo was lucky enough that he had found the unguarded spot at the perfect time. With that kind of injury, it's fighting abilities would decrease significantly. Hopefully, it would be enough.

A fresh wave of strength came as Ichigo came at the Hollow once more. As Ichigo's blade hit the Hollow's, he could feel that it wasn't putting up as much of a fight as it was before. Now, it was struggling, struggling just to keep Ichigo at bay. This was a good sign, at least for Ichigo. He couldn't help but smirk as he felt victory come his way.

With incredible speed, Ichigo disappeared from before his opponent, and used the small time frame to come up from behind. In less than a second, Ichigo appeared behind the Hollow, which had yet to notice Ichigo's disappearance. Only until it was too late did it sense his presence behind him. With one mighty victorious slash, Ichigo cut across the Hollow's back, leaving a dark, deep gash, which was bleeding heavily. A smirk crossed Ichigo's face as he watched his opponent fell to the ground. Ecstatic with triumph, Ichigo went quickly to regain control of his body, but stopped.

A sharp pain came across Ichigo's back, causing him to fall to the floor. He looked back, accusatory, thinking that the Hollow had struck him down, but was disappointed to find that it was still in its bleeding state on the ground.

_Where did that come from? _Ichigo thought.

He was about to use Zangetsu to lift himself up when Ichigo noticed that it had left his hand. Looking around, he found Zangetsu, but in spirit form, not zanpakuto. His eyes were full of pity, as though he was looking down on something that couldn't see, couldn't understand something so perfectly obvious, something that was blind to the only truth.

"What's going on?" Ichigo demanded to know. He tried to push himself, to be able to look Zangetsu straight in the eyes, but realized it wasn't worth it. He looked back up, waiting for an answer.

"Ichigo, can you not see?" Zangetsu's voice sounded slightly pained. "Can you not see it?"

"See what?"

"The bond."

It took a while for Ichigo to comprehend what he was talking about, but soon he saw it. Zangetsu continued.

"There is a bond between you and that Hollow, almost the same kind of bond you have with me. It is something that can never be broken. The Hollow has been with you for so long, you are both a part of each other. If one dies, so will the other. This is the sad fate that you share, to be bonded to a blood enemy. If one is injured enough, the other shall feel it. There is no breaking this kind of hold."

Ichigo was silent for a while, allowing this new knowledge to sink into his mind. He looked back to the Hollow, which had now been able to look their direction, but only barely. It seemed that it had heard this as well.

A bond.

To think that such a thing would come between them, a Shinigami and a Hollow. Two beings that were to fight the other for the whole of eternity. If anyone else knew of this, if any of Ichigo's former squad knew, surely they would shun him. He would be cast away, or even sent for execution. The Central 46 might even have excused the thirty-five day wait, and kill him on the spot. The gravity of the issue at hand sank deep within Ichigo's core, the center of his being. He was to live forever with that thing, forever to be cursed, forever to be haunted, hunted, hated. Such a situation had never occurred before...had it? Ichigo wondered if the same thing was true with the Vizards. He never had the chance to ask them of how their Hollow powers came to be. But that took little priority for the moment. Ichigo was cursed, and it would be a terrible curse to live with. At any moment that thing could attack him, taking over his body. But when? He would be most vulnerable while sleeping. The thought had him shiver. If it took over while Ichigo was sleeping...Yuzu, Karin, and Isshin would all be sleeping as well. What would happen to them if that thing received control? Another shiver came.

"Do not worry," Zangetsu assured. Ichigo looked at him with puzzled eyes. "It will not bother you. At least for now. It will recognize you as the leader, so do not worry about it. No trouble will come your way for a long time." Zangetsu turned, then began to walk toward the control platform. With a gentle hand, he pressed it to the essence's chest, closed his eyes, and from the head down, it began to dissolve. Once it had gone, Zangetsu looked back to Ichigo.

"Come, before your friends get too worried on your part."

Ichigo prepared to use all his strength to get to his feet, but realized that it was not needed. The pain had subsided, and the wounds had gone. Looking back once more, the Hollow had, too, vanished. Confused, Ichigo decided to let it go. Hardly anything made sense anymore, especially in here.

Standing, Ichigo took his place on the platform. The feeling of being in control once more happily surged through his veins, allowing all control to him, where it rightfully belonged. Satisfaction and relief also came as the inner world began to fade, knowing that the Hollow wouldn't bother him again for a long time. Then, in one quick flash, the inner world had gone, and the Vizards stood before him.

**A/N: Okay, so that was the thirteenth chapter. Sorry it took so long to post, or at least it felt to me like it was so long. My school work has just now decided to catch up to me, so I'm sorry if the chapters become less and less frequent, but I promise to you that they will not stop. So yeah, once again, here's a reminder to go to my profile and take part in that poll. I really want to know your opinion so that I can make your reading experience more to your liking. Thank you! Oh, and I'm going to, from now on, end** **every chapter with some kind of quote or saying, most of them I will have come up with myself. Thank you for reading!**

"**Love your family, love your friends, love life itself." --PixieTitan-Uchiha (I made this one myself!!;D)**


	14. Old Face

Stunned, Ichigo stumbled away from the Vizards. The news of the bond existing between him and the Hollow was almost unbearable. He was sure that the twelfth captain Kurotsuchi would have a field day if he knew of such a bond existing. The conversation that Ichigo and the others had still stung in his mind.

"_We all used to be high-ranked Shinigami, but the Soul Society doesn't want anything to do with Hollowfication, so they planned on killing us, but a series of very fortunate events got us out of there and into here. If anyone were to ever know of this back there, they would do everything they could to get you back into their hands, not that they're not doing that right now..."_

Then the conversation led to safety measures, and blah blah blah. Ichigo was just ready to get home into his own bed. He knew that it wouldn't last for long though, because Shinji had worked up a plan for when Ichigo was to come to train. Apparently, obtaining you powers and maintaining your powers are two different things. Every morning, he'd have to wake up at four and go to the warehouse and train, then from right after school to five-thirty, although the five-thirty wasn't something they'd agreed on, but there were others things that Ichigo had to take care of, his family for one.

When Ichigo reached the inside of the warehouse, he looked out the window to check the approximate time. It was dark, but a tiny ray of pink-orange light protruded the clouds, painting a masterpiece from the sky. Either dawn or dusk. Hopefully dusk. The hopes were smashed when found that the light was in the east. Maybe he could just sleep all day....That could work. Shinji never said when the training would begin, so why not in a couple of days?

The walk home was so tiresome and confusing. So much had happened while he was over there that he couldn't remember the path they took. If he could at least get to the school, he could find his way home by that way. After an hour of searching, Ichigo found a familiar street corner, and was soon at his home.

_Home._

He hadn't thought of anything as "home" for a long time. It felt good to have one again.

As soon as he walked in the door, there was his dad, Isshin, to greet him. His face was warm, and somehow thankful, probably because Ichigo's body hadn't been given to a blood-lusting soul-devouring monster Hollow. A warm embrace found its way between father and son, and it seemed to last for an eternity. Ichigo reluctantly pulled from his father, but he had to get to bed, or else he would fall to the ground. And soon.

Alone, Ichigo walked up the stairs, found his room, and threw himself on the bed, not even caring about the covers, and as he did this, he failed to notice a very familiar spiritual pressure around him. Almost as soon as he hit the bed, Ichigo was asleep.

The next day, Ichigo woke with the sky pitch-black, small, brightly lit stars dotting the dark abyss. He looked to the clock near his bed, and it read: 3:04 A.M. Thankful for the uninterrupted rest, Ichigo stood from his bed, a new kind of relief relaxing his muscles. He felt good, better than he had in a long time, before the execution had been sentenced. Then he shivered as strange news hit a little too close to home.

_The execution is supposed to be tomorrow,_Ichigo thought. He was surprised he had made it this long without being arrested again. He must have been making history, to have evaded the Gotei 13 for so long.

Shaking the thought, Ichigo dressed, and went downstairs for a three-thirty breakfast, having to settle for simple cereal and toast since Yuzu wasn't awake yet. It was four now, and Ichigo had a few hours until school, then he remembered the training schedule with the Vizards. It was time for him to get over there. Writing a quick note, Ichigo left the house in the still darkness. He found the warehouse easier this time, and everyone was already waiting for him. For today, they did one-on-ones, and Ichigo was paired with the little girl, Hiyori, who ironically was the fiercest of them all.

As Ichigo and his four classmates approached the school building, he noticed that something familiar was in the atmosphere. What, he couldn't say. It was familiar, but it was like he had been away from it for so long that he couldn't remember it right away. The unknown spirit pressure scared him, and when he found out who it belonged to, he might be even more afraid. Trying to shake the feeling, Ichigo walked into class with another half-hour to spare.

The rest of the day passed with no unplanned events, as did the next day, and the next. Weeks had passed since his fight with the Hollow, and Ichigo could feel the absolute control of his body become more prominent each day. Although this feeling had brought him new-found confidence, Shinji continually reminded him each day not to get cocky. The Hollow would find that as a sign of weakness, and once enough of it had built inside Ichigo, the Hollow would seize the chance at dominance.

So for weeks they trained, the schedule going the same, almost to the second, day after day. A few times, Tatsuki and the others would invite Ichigo to go somewhere with them, and occasionally, he would accept, so long as it didn't interfere with his training schedule. After a while, all the problems from the past faded from Ichigo's mind, and he only concentrated on what was going on at that particular moment. This way of life suited Ichigo. He wasn't used to not having to really worry about anything, but once it happened, he realized that he liked it. Months passed, and the time hadn't really sunk in until Ichigo heard Yuzu one day state that the next day would mark their seventh month in the human world.

It was at that moment that true realization hit him. If he hadn't escaped to here, he would have been dead for the past half-year. Shivers ran down his spine as he really truly felt the effect of this move, how it had kept him alive for this long. Finally, all the worry returned, and he thought that it was almost too good to last. He just felt that something bad was going to happen, and soon, that would end his life here in Karakura.

And how ironic: it would happen the very next day.

As he had done for the past months, Ichigo awoke to the sound of his alarm clock at a quarter-to-four, but as he rose from his bed, he could feel an eerie presence in his room that sent crazy shivers up and down his spine. It couldn't have been the temperature, seeing as it was almost June, but still...

It wasn't normal.

After that morning's training session, Ichigo headed to class like he always did, but something was different as he stepped into class early: Almost the entire class was already there.

Taking his usual seat by the window, Ichigo leaned over and asked Tatsuki, "Why is everyone here so early?" Cautiously, Ichigo eyed the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He could tell that this was going to be an out-of-the-ordinary day. "Usually class doesn't fill until about five minutes to the bell."

Tatsuki gave him a curious look. "Weren't you paying attention yesterday? A new student is coming today. Actually, three, but they're all being split up into three different classes. I saw them after school yesterday walking out of the admin office, and they were all kind of...strange. Kind of like how you were when you first came here."

A not-too-good feeling swept through Ichigo's system. "How so? Would you mind describing them?"

"Uh, sure, I guess." Tatsuki blinked a few times, slightly confused to the reason to his question, but since she has known Ichigo, she's learned that it's better not to ask questions. "Well, there were three of them, like I said. One was a girl, and then there were two guys. The girl was short, and had dark, raven-colored hair, with big, serious, deep blue eyes. Then one of the guys was really tall, I think a little taller than you, Ichigo, and he had red hair pulled into a ponytail near the top of his head, and had tattoos on his forehead, most of which were hidden under a headband, and his eyes were small, but they darted around, as though he was, like, expecting an attack, or something, and he seemed serious, too. But then the last guy was the most serious of them all, even if he was shorter than the others. He looked like he should be down at the junior high. He had white hair, probably bleached, if you ask me, and his eyes were a bluish-green, and I heard him speak to the principal, and his voice was cold and hard, like ice in the Arctic Circle, or something. And he had this, this, I don't know, _feeling_ about him that kind of said, 'I'm on a mission, so don't give me any b.s., and don't stand in my way,' kind of thing. They were all just really creepy."

Tatsuki paused for a while, through with her description. Denial and shock came hard, like Ichigo was being hit all over with thousands of baseball bats by the best player in the league.

_How...Why...When...? This isn't possible! This just CAN'T BE HAPPENING! _Ichigo thought with despair. It couldn't be them, it just couldn't! But if it was....? Then what would Ichigo do? Surely they would recognize him, there was no mistaking that. Ichigo glanced to the clock on the back wall. He had twenty minutes until the beginning of class, but who knows how long he had until the "new students" arrived? Quickly, Ichigo had to think of a plan.

Then one formed in his mind. Distressed and flustered, Ichigo asked Tatsuki two questions.

"Which one is coming to our class, do you know?"

"Um, I think it's the white-haired one....Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"Okay then....hey, you wouldn't happen to have a mirror or cover-up or anything, would you?"

Suddenly taken aback, Tatsuki ignored the no-asking-questions rule and asked the ever-so descriptive, "Why?!"

Ichigo flicked his hand in the direction of his neck, and Tatsuki saw it. The burn mark. She could understand that. Really, who wants to have a new student come in, and, when seeing a strangely shaped burn mark on your neck, have them thinking that you're a freak right off? Of course, this wasn't Ichigo's real reasoning to it, but so long as Tatsuki had believed some reasonable excuse, he didn't care. She digged in her bag for a minute, and tossed a mirror and a small bottle to him. Thankfully, the skin tone between the two wasn't too different, so the cover-up wouldn't be too obvious. No one in the class noticed Tatsuki helping Ichigo apply make-up to his neck, and that did save Ichigo a little embarrassment, although he was sure the guys would notice at lunch when the mysterious burn was no longer present, but Ichigo didn't have time to worry about it. As long as he could pull off his plan, and the "new student" bought it, hopefully everything would be alright.

After ten minutes of apply, rub-off, apply, rub-off, the pair finally managed to hide the mark almost perfectly aside from leaving a few marks of cover-up on Ichigo's collar, but that could be easily hidden by simply turning it a certain direction, and it didn't look too conspicuous. And they finished not a moment too soon, for as soon as Tatsuki put her belongings back in her bag, the door slid open, and in walked the new kid.

His plan stuck in his head, Ichigo put his head in his chin and turned to face out the window, pretending he wasn't interested in the new one. His logic was that maybe if it looked like he wasn't affected by their appearance, his (former) friends would pass him off as a regular human who is extremely similar to the Ichigo that had once been sentenced to death. It would be a long shot, but it was one that Ichigo was willing to attempt.

Pretending as though he was just curious to why the room had fallen silent, Ichigo slowly but "curiously" turned his head the other direction, his attention now focused on the same spot as the others' in the room.

All his fears were true. Standing there, at the front of the class, not five yards away, was Toshiro Hitsugaya.

**A.N.: Okay, I'm sure that at least, like, ninety percent of you guys saw that coming, but oh well. Sometimes, the reader likes to make a prediction about what's going to happen, and when it does, see that they were right, so that they can jump up and down, yelling "I knew it, I knew it, I KNEW IT!!!! HAHA!" causing all of the people around them to look at them with look on their faces that just **_**screams **_**"What a freak!" Anyway. I'm sure that the first half of this was pretty boring, but really how else was I going to fill the multi-month time slot between the important events in this story. Really now? Oh, and I'm sure that, like, almost every single one of you were completely cracking up when I put make-up on Ichigo. I have to admit that I was snickering to myself as I typed it, thinking, "Holy crap, this is so disrespectful to the 'real' Ichigo," but I couldn't help it. For one, it went with the story line, and for two, it was just too dang funny!**

**Anyway, y'all know the drill, review, add to favorites (if y'all haven't already, which, if you've bothered to read this much into the story, you should have), and all that jazz. **

**Reminder:****In case you forgot, I posted that poll thing, and not a lot of you guys went to look at it, and even less actually voted! I only had three voters, out of hundreds that read that last chapter. I guess I'll have to tell you what the question for the poll is...*sigh*...[I didn't want to have to do this, but you guys are making me].... "Should there be a love interest in "Unwanted Change," a Bleach fan fiction by PixieTitan-Uchiha?" Yeah, that's right! I'm thinking about a certain pairing, but I only write to please my readers, so I wanted to see if you guys wanted it. Oh, and sorry, but I'm going with the majority, even if it is by just one point. P.S., there are three choices: ****Yes, No, or Indifferent (that means you don't care either way). Anyway, so if y'all want love action, or you don't, then go vote! I won't make my decision for another few chapters, which gives y'all at least a month, so get at it! You can vote how ever many times, IDC! Just go! Run like the wind!!! (The poll can be found at the top of my profile, above my picture, and general info.)**

**SO GO! GO GO GO GO GO GO!!!!!**

**And don't forget to review!**


	15. To Tell Or Not To Tell

There it was. The face that Ichigo had gotten to know so well. The one he had known since before the "death" of his father. That high-ranking shinigami that he had been able to call friend.

Toshiro Hitsugaya.

The short, white-haired male stood before the class with the permanent serious expression etched across his features. The piercing, familiar blue-green eyes were scanning the room, crossing face after face, as though looking for someone particular. Although he was trying to be calm, Ichigo's body instinctively held its breath. He had to force himself to breath, but the anxiety refused to pass. The eyes reached Ichigo's part of the room, and, surprisingly, passed over him. With a small, almost non-existent sigh of relief, Ichigo relaxed some, and went back to the window.

His relief changed to alarm when not ten seconds later, Ichigo received a nudge in the arm. He turned to see Tatsuki giving him a look. She leaned forward to whisper something to him, and he did the same to listen.

"Hey, that new guy's looking at you weird," she stated. Reluctantly, Ichigo looked up to meet his gaze, then cringed back. Although he had looked at Toshiro countless times, he had never felt this kind of hatred targeted at him. It was enough to make a military sergeant cry. "Did you do something to piss him off?" Her eyes showed her curiosity...and maybe a bit of concern.

"I'd rather not talk about it," Ichigo replied, not daring to look back at Toshiro. "I might tell you later. _Might_."

Sensing the strong gaze still upon him, Ichigo shifted in his seat, looking back once or twice, although they were only quick glances, and tried to ignore the white-haired "student." Inside his mind, Ichigo was screaming for help. Did Urahara do something wrong? Had he left a hole that Soul Society could find that would lead them here? No, he didn't seem _that_ careless. Was _Ichigo_ the one who had left the trail? Maybe he left a hint, that night he and his father had gone back for Yuzu and Karin. How...? Wait. Toshiro had been so close to them. He might have, no, probably sensed their spiritual pressure. Why didn't he act then? Toshiro _is_ a genius, though. Maybe a plan was formulating in his head the second he realized it was them. But maybe he was too confused to act when he felt Isshin's along with the others'. How would he react when he felt his supposedly "dead" ex-captain's pressure, and his sentenced-to-death other ex-captain who was the other captain's son at the time? It would probably be too much for anyone, even someone like Toshiro. But still, that could never explain how they found him. Ugh, it was too much for Ichigo to sort through now!

Cautiously, Ichigo looked back to Toshiro. Luckily, the gaze was on the other side of the room. Ichigo sighed yet again, then caught it. He followed Toshiro's gaze, and it was directed at Shinji, Mashiro, Kensei, and Risa. Panic rang through.

"_We all used to be high-ranked Shinigami..." _Toshiro had been part of the squads before Ichigo had. What if Toshiro recognized them, and saw the mysterious Ichigo-look-alike in the same room? Toshiro was too smart not to make some sort of connection.

Before any act could be made on either side, the morning bell rang, indicating that class would now begin. The door slid open once more, allowing the teacher to enter the room. Halfway to her seat, she paused, acknowledged that Toshiro was already present, and continued. Once she got her things settled, she stood, facing the class.

"It seems we have yet another new student this year!" Her fake enthusiasm was extremely poor. She had enough students in her class as it was, and yet another, this one with an apparent "thug" attitude was just overwhelming. She made a gesture, allowing Toshiro to introduce himself.

"My name is Toshiro Hitsugaya. It's a pleasure to meet you all, and I look forward to spending the rest of the year with you." Although the words were welcoming, the tone was far from it. In fact, it made the whole quake with fear. Ichigo had almost forgotten Toshiro's voice, and this certainly was _not_ how he wanted to be reminded of it. Surely he wouldn't be senile to everyone....Would he?

Ichigo glanced around the room. There was only one seat empty, now vacant, since the student who used to sit there moved a few weeks after Ichigo's arrival. It was in Tatsuki's row, only three behind her, where Toshiro would have a great view for observing Ichigo's every movement, until he was absolutely sure that he had his man. Then all hope at a peaceful life for the Kurosaki's would be extinguished. The situation seemed doomed, and there was very little now that could be done. Ichigo couldn't think of any sure-fire plan. Even if he were able to evade Toshiro, there was also the matter of the other two...

Renji and Rukia. Even if Ichigo is a captain-ranked shinigami, now with a new power that none but a select few know about, there was no way he could take down three others, that, not only were they strong, but there were once his friends.

_Why does everything have to be so complicated?_

As expected, Toshiro claimed that seat behind Tatsuki, and as expected, all morning, Ichigo felt the piercing stare of those blue-green eyes, watching, observing, taking note of even the slightest movement, any particular detail he could find. So disturbing. Even as they were excused for lunch, Ichigo still felt the presence of the stare linger. Every corner he turned, he half-expected one of the three to take him under arrest, and no one would ever see any of them again. Living in this fear, if only for a brief time, was worse than it actually occurring.

Despite it being near the end of November, it was unusually warm outside, so the group Ichigo usually ate with took their usual route to their usual spot and ate their usual lunches. True, it was not uncommon for Ichigo to not really partake in the multiple conversations, but today, it was taken to a whole other extreme. Ichigo wouldn't talk, even if spoken to, and the strangest mood almost erupted from him, it was so dark and gloomy and...and...scared. Not scary, but scared.

"Ichigo?" Tatsuki called. "Ichigo, hey, why don't you talk to us? Ichigo?"

Silence.

"Ichigo? Ichigo! _Ichigo_!" This time, she punched his shoulder, knocking bits of his lunch to the ground. "What is with you today? First that cover-up thing, then your reaction to the new guy, and now this? What is wrong with you?!"

"Hey, Tatsuki, would you quiet down?" Ichigo hushed. "You're making a scene." Ichigo looked around, wondering if any of his "friends" had heard any of that.

"Oh, sure, now he speaks!"

"No, Tatsuki, really, be quiet!" Panic and frustration were definitely present.

"WHY SHOULD I?!" she yelled. Now the rest of the group was staring, intimidated by the agitated fighter. Some started to back away.

"Tatsuki, no-...don't...oh, come here!" Frustrated and worried, Ichigo stood up and walked away from the group, Tatsuki following at his heels. The steam could almost be seen coming from her ears. He led her across the yard, where no one sat, due to the unpleasant scenery, and, hiding behind a dying tree, turned to face his irritated friend.

"Tatsuki, why are you making such a big deal out of this? And please, don't yell."

"Why? Because I hate it when you space out, you know that! And I hate it even more when I get ignored when I'm trying to talk to you!" She puffed, and crossed her arms. "Now what's your problem?" she demanded.

_Crap. Not good._

"Wha-What do you mean, what;s my problem?"

"Seriously, answer me! Why are you acting like this? I know I usually don't ask, and I know I shouldn't, but I have to admit, I _am_ a little worried." Her strong, demanding expression turned into one that a caring friend would show. She really was serious to pull that trick out...or maybe it wasn't a trick. But no matter if this was real or not, there's no way that she could ever find out. What could Ichigo say that would satisfy her, and not give away anything crucial?

"I don't know how to explain it," he answered, thinking out loud more than answering her.

"What do you mean? Just talk."

"It's more complicated than that...It's just that-" he stopped himself right there. Why did he feel like it was so easy just to tell her? Why did he feel the need to tell her? It was so important that he keep this a secret, but how could he not when everything was so close to being revealed? Then a new logic came on. There was no way he could escape from Toshiro's clutches, and there was a chance that things could get out of hand, and she would find out eventually. But there were so many _complications_!

"Just what?" Her eyes showed it all; she really did care, and she was hurt that he wouldn't trust her, confide in her, no matter how much they both wanted to.

"Nothing," Ichigo replied after letting out a sigh. "It's nothing, just drop it." He started to turn away, but Tatsuki caught his arm, holding him back. Ichigo turned, and her eyes were starting to tear. Now there was absolutely no doubt anywhere that this was an act. It was too much.

"Please, Ichigo...Tell me." Her voice was so sad. Her head dropped, her face hidden, but that didn't prevent Ichigo from seeing the tears fall to the dry grass. "...Please..."

For whatever reason, Ichigo turned back to her. _She cares this much?_ Once Ichigo turned back to her, Tatsuki looked up, the tears still streaming.

"Why?" he asked her. "Why do you care this much?"

There was no answer, and Ichigo could tell by her face that she hadn't a clue either, but that didn't stop her from wanting an answer. Now he felt completely compelled to tell her everything. Everything. Everything about his life, Soul Society, his family, the loss of his father, the Hollow, Hueco Mundo, every last detail that had brought him here. Of course, any normal person would think he was crazy, especially when being told of the fact that he was several centuries old, but there was a feeling, no, more of an instinct in the pit of stomach that seemed to shout that Tatsuki would believe every word of it.

_What am I going to do?_

**A/N: So yeah. I didn't think that this kind of thing would develop this early, but there wasn't much I could do to really fill in the gap between events, so I kind of merged them. Anyway, that poll I sent out? Yeah, anyway, the results were really close, but "Yes" won. Only ten people participated, and there were three choices: Yes, No, and Indifferent (meaning you don't care either way), and, in that order, these were the results: 4,3,3. I know, right! It was so close! Sorry, you No-ers out there, but you got beaten by one point. I know it's "not fair" since it was "that close," but I kinda take the side of the Yes-ers. Sorry, but I kinda wanted to do something like this anyway. So yeah, enjoy that! And there will definitely be more to come later! And don't forget that little button down below that says to review! (Seriously, I want some reviews.) ^_^ See yah in dah next chaptah!**


	16. Death Revealed

"Tatsuki, I-I'm sorry, I just don't know if it's best that I tell you." Ichigo's stuttering was getting worse by the second. Why was he so nervous? What was it about Tatsuki that made him so nervous? Why did it matter so much, anyway?

"Please, Ichigo, you don't have to keep it to yourself. In fact, it's better that you don't. Really, Ichigo, I want to know."

Why does she care so much about Ichigo, his problems, everything? This is too much for him. He had faced all kinds of things before, but never a situation quite like this. How was he to handle it without causing mass damage to their friendship? Why is it that complication after complication arose when it came to Ichigo's sake?

_What should I do, what should I do, _what should I do?!_ Why does it have to be this hard?_

Ichigo looked behind, trying to find some way out, but nothing came. There were only two options. One, he could tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, or two, he could drop the whole thing then and there, utterly destroying the stressed relationship he and Tatsuki shared. He couldn't lie to her, give her a fake story, no, she could read him too well for him to get away with that. He didn't want to cut the bond between them; Tatsuki was his closest friend here, and he was sure that no one could ever replace her. But there was his family he had to take into consideration. What would happen when his family learned that he had revealed them? What would happen to Tatsuki? Would someone seek her out because she knew? How would they know that she knew? Ah, these were all things that clouded Ichigo's mind, and sadly, his judgment.

"Tatsuki, I want to tell, but just not here. After class, meet me out front, and we'll talk about it where there isn't an audience, okay?" If he was wiser at the time, Ichigo would have been lying, and left school, saying that his dad suddenly moved across the country, or something of the like. However, he wasn't lying. Ichigo really meant it this time. Something, internal or external, possessed him to do so.

Satisfied for the time being, Tatsuki dried her tears, and walked back to the group, a bit happier that Ichigo was starting to really trust her. As Ichigo approached the group, he could sense the others' moods lighten as well.

But that wasn't all he noticed.

As subtly as he could, Ichigo aimed his gaze to a spot hidden behind the largest unoccupied tree on the campus. Sitting in one of the branches was Toshiro. Hidden behind the leaves of other branches were familiar figures, though their faces were disguised. Even so, there was no mistaking Renji and Rukia. He focused back on his friends and smiled. As he passed the large tree, he couldn't help but overhear.

"Do you think it's really him?"

"Who else would it be?!"

"I don't know, how about an actual human that happens to share the same name and appearance as Ichigo?"

"Highly unlikely."

"But this fellow seems so different from the Ichigo we used to know. Even his spiritual pressure is different-" _Thank you, O gracious gigai of Urahara. Never again shall I doubt your awesome abilities._ "-and plus, that burn mark is gone from his neck! No gigai, no matter how perfect, could hide something like that!"

The trio continued to bicker quietly. What a relief it was to find that Ichigo's charade was not yet in vain. Why not keep it up? After all, it felt kind of good to fit in, not like he was trying to before, but as though he really did belong there, and he wasn't part of the crazy world of complications in which he inhabited.

_Who knows?_ he thought to himself with an uncharacteristic chuckle. _This could be fun._

The rest of the afternoon passed, surprisingly smoother than the morning portion. The intense stares from behind weakened, although they did not disappear altogether. A small presence could be felt, but nothing more. Tatsuki also seemed in a better mood. It was as if the sun itself was shining at his right. Trusting Tatsuki could also be an enjoyable experience. One thing, though, really got Ichigo's funny side. When they went over their history and science lessons, he would hear familiar frustrated grunts that he knew all too well, and they were coming from none other than Toshiro Hitsugaya.

_Poor little genius, _Ichigo thought. _He's not used to not understanding things. Oh, how the tables have turned._

The bell rang once more, yet again allowing the great multitude of students of Karakura High School exit the building, off to their various clubs, jobs, homework assignments, chores, and, in Ichigo's case, confessions.

Just as he asked, Tatsuki met him outside at the front door. Not knowing where to go, she and Ichigo just walked, letting their feet take them wherever they please. Ichigo tried to stall, wandering from miscellaneous subject to subject, but Tatsuki's patience was wearing thin, that much he could tell. They happened to be near the river, and when approaching, Tatsuki took the lead, guiding Ichigo near the water. They sat on the ground, Ichigo facing the river, Tatsuki facing him.

_She is _really_ curious about this._

Defeated, Ichigo let out a sigh. "Where do I begin? There's just so much..."Immediately, Tatsuki looked puzzled. Was there more to Ichigo than she had first expected? He continued.

"Promise me this first." He turned his gaze to her, serious as ever. "No matter I say, you will not repeat this to anyone. No one's supposed to know about this actually, and if someone were to find out I told you-"

"No, it's okay. I won't tell anyone," she interrupted. She thought that he thought she would relay this information, which kind of was one of the problems, but not the biggest, but Ichigo decided not to tell her that.

"Okay, then. Also, all of this is completely, absolutely, and utterly true...I just don't know where to start..." He turned back to face the river, a gentle breeze coming between them. He supposed he better start at the beginning.

"There are several worlds. One is this one, the World of the Living. Another is Soul Society, where the passed travel to. The other is Hueco Mundo, where soul-devouring monsters called Hollows live." He paused briefly, looking at Tatsuki. Her face was concentrated, intent on hearing the rest of what he had to say. "The creatures, Hollows, will travel to the Living World, where they will prey on the souls of humans. In Soul Society, there is a force called the Gotei 13, or the Thirteen Protection Squads, made of shinigami. It is the duty of shinigami to cleanse the Hollows of their sins, and send them to their proper places, either soul society or hell. Of each of the Thirteen Squads, there is one captain. Two centuries ago, the captain of the Tenth Squad was Isshin Kurosaki. After he passed in battle, two more captains went through, all passing from enemy combat. Then the third captain of that squad was...was me." Once again, Ichigo looked to Tatsuki. Her eyes seemed a little wider than before, but that passed, and she continued to listen.

"As you've probably guessed, Isshin Kurosaki was, no, _is_ my father. I was also there that day when everyone thought he had died. I suppose that in a way, he had. I had just joined the ranks, and I was placed in my dad's division. One day, several Arrancar, the highest level of power in Hollows, infiltrated Soul Society, then our base, Seireitei. One of them sought me out, not in particular, but I was the first in his path. He grabbed me by the throat, and then his hand started to burn my skin. That's where this-" he pointed to his neck, where the covered mark lay hidden, "-came from. Later, I found that he had the means to turn me into one of them, but none of us knew then. Maybe if we _did_ know at that time, this wouldn't be-...sorry, but anyway. My dad was able to stop it before it was complete, although I still had some...'side effects,' you could call them. Dad fought the Arrancar, managing to deal some critical damage, but ended up dying in the process. I was so filled with rage and anguish, my body had a new strength, and I defeated the Arrancar. After, we learned that I was the only one that had been attacked in such a way.

"Two hundred years later, which was actually less than a year ago, I was captain of the Tenth Squad, as I had been for a while. I was living with my younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin in the house our parents had left us. My lieutenant, or vice-captain, was Toshiro Hitsugaya. Yes, the new student that came in today," he answered, from the sounding of a shocked gasp.

"One day came, and it was all just like before. The setting, the time of day, even the enemies, they were all the same as when Dad passed. As fate would have it, I ended up fighting the same Arrancar that I thought I had slayed all those years ago. He recognized me after a few moments, when he saw my power, and the burn mark on my neck. Then, everything went black. When I came to, I was in the Central 46, the head council of Seireitei. I didn't know, and I still don't, what happened while I was out, but they-"

"Sentenced you to death!" The voice was hard, unfeeling, and Ichigo only then noticed that they had been followed. How stupid it was, to not see that coming. Ichigo turned, already knowing who he would face. While he turned, he caught the sight of Tatsuki's face. She was shocked, confused, and, God forbid, scared. Ichigo's eyes met the ones of his former lieutenant in an unwanted stare. Finally breaking away after what seemed like several eternities, Ichigo saw the other two standing behind the first. Afraid and caught off guard, Ichigo jumped to his feet, backing away. He looked at Tatsuki, and ordered, "Run!" She looked like she was going to when she stood, but all she did was take a few steps back. "What are you doing?! I said run!" Still, she only took a few steps back, continuing to watch the scene. Although he didn't want to, Ichigo redirected his attention to the trio before him.

"Judging by your reaction," Toshiro started, "we really have found you. We were beginning to have slight doubts." His face was expressionless, as were the others.

"So, what are you going to do?!" Ichigo yelled. "Are you going to arrest me? Kill me on the spot?" Why was it coming out like this? He was making a scene, and in front of a terrified human at that, but he couldn't stop. "Treat me like any other enemy you would find along the way?" The silence grew thick between them. Ichigo's chest pounded. "Well?!"

"You said..." Rukia started, but Renji took over the rest. "You said you don't know what happened, that day you were sentenced. Is that true?"

Confused at the question, Ichigo nodded his confirmation. What were they getting at? Renji muttered something to Toshiro, who at first did not respond, but after a brief moment of contemplation, answer back. Ichigo was only able to catch one word, but he didn't want to think about it.

Toshiro glanced back at Ichigo, who had already taken a fighting stance, although there wasn't very much he could do in his gigai. It would take some time to get out of it, and although it didn't take much, it was still enough for them to make a move.

_This is stupid,_ Ichigo inwardly complained. _Why should I have to fight _them_? They're my friends. Is this some kind of sick joke Yamamoto has?_

"You want to know what happened when you were out?" Toshiro said. It sounded more like an accusation than a question, really, but Ichigo warily nodded his head yet again. "Do you really want to?"

"Yes, just tell me, already!" Now Ichigo's patience was disappearing.

"While you were out, a Hollow took over your body, and not only did it injure almost a third of your squad, it also killed forty percent of those injured, including Hisagi Shuuhei. It only took it fifteen minutes to do the damage before seven captains and all the lieutenants to take it down. It was pronounced a part of you, and therefore, you were seen as a threat to all beings. They were going to decide later if your execution date would be moved closer, but you escaped by the time you had even reached your cell, which by the way, remains a mystery to all in Soul Society. No one knew where you went." He stopped, apparently through with his little explanation, but it was already enough.

_Hisagi? He's dead? And I didn't even know it? _"No..." he whispered, the thought so strong, it had been verbalized. _It-It's all my fault...my doing..._

"I can see this really is a shock to you, but as you can know see the reason of your sentence, it's time it was fulfilled. Now do we have to this the easy way?" Almost as quick as lightning, Toshiro escaped from his gigai and grasped the hilt of Hyorinmaru, and continued, "Or the hard way?" With one swift movement, the icy zanpakuto was unsheathed, as were two others on either side, all ready on a moment's notice to strike.

_Not Hisagi...This just has to be a lie...IT JUST HAS TO!_

A pale blue spirit pressure surrounded Ichigo's body, causing a faint light to fall upon the near blades of grass. "It's not-...It can't be-...You-...You're LYING!" With one quick flash of blue, not only was Ichigo out of his gigai, he was also in bankai.

The tip of Tensa Zangetsu's blade was pointed at the white-haired shinigami's throat.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for ready, and I hope that you guys liked this one. I think it got kind of dramatic, but whatevs, it's really up to the mind of the readr to decide if it's dramatic or not. Anyway, y'all know the drill. Just click that little review button right below, and send me something, and I will be all the much happier. Even if it's a bad one, IDC, because I just like it when ppl send me stuff! ^_^**


	17. Compassion

**A/N: Okay, so, someone asked me if Ichigo's going to bankai so fast was a side effect from his hollow, and my answer to that is: "No." He was just really ticked off, and that adrenaline gave him a boost, or something, allowing him to reach bankai quicker. (P.S. I don't think that could actually happen in the show, but that's _my_ explanation for _my_ fan fiction. This does not apply to the real anime.) Hope y'all love the next part, and don't forgetz tah reviewwwwwwww!!!!!;D**

What was this feeling? The one that surged through Ichigo right now. It hurt, that was for sure, but it was also angry. His heart pounded though he wasn't doing anything thing that was physically demanding. Hisagi, dead? It couldn't be possible. Hisagi was there that day that Isshin had been defeated by Ulquiorra, who had been there to help Ichigo when he was writhing in pain from the mark. Although they had never been very close, Hisagi was still a very important person to Ichigo, and to hear that he was dead? It wasn't true, it couldn't be! They...they just said that to distract him, that's right, to distract him so it would be easier to take him back for his execution. Yeah, that's it, because there's absolutely no way-

"There is no way that Hisagi's dead!" Ichigo said, low but firm. Tensa Zangetsu was still pointed at Toshiro's throat, ready to cut it at any moment.

"But he is," Toshiro dared to say. Every word that came out of his mouth was just another provocation, just another reason why Ichigo could cut him down. "And it's _your_ fault that he is. Face it, that thing is a menace and cannot be risked. It must be destroyed. The only was to achieve that is to destroy its host as well." At the sound of the word 'host,' Toshiro threw the blade from his throat with his own. This time, Toshiro's blade was pointed at Ichigo. Feeling the need of self-preservation, Ichigo jumped back, putting a good, at least, ten feet between them.

"So you don't care if I die?" Ichigo accused. He could see that it affected them, although Toshiro showed it the least. The other two dropped their zanpakuto's height a little, but regained it not but two seconds later.

"That's not true. But orders are orders, and we cannot afford to disobey!" Toshiro lunged forward, Hyourinmaru out front. Ichigo blocked it, then launched an attack on his own. His fury was getting the better of him. Sure, he and Toshiro had fought many times before for the sake of training, but this was different. This time, Ichigo wanted to make Toshiro hurt. He wanted to see his friend at least feel a fraction of he's felt since that day, not just since his sentencing, but since his dad was killed as a shinigami. There's no way that he could ever feel that pain fully, but if he could just get the idea that he never could, only to simply taste it, then he would be satisfied. Maybe, so long as they understood him better, he would actually not resist going back, but first, he had to make them understand. He had to make them see what he was enduring, what he was _suffering_ for such a very, very long time....

"Agghhhhhh!!" Ichigo yelled. Hyourinmaru had pierced his side. Ruby drops of blood drip steadily, covering the grass in a sea of crimson liquid.

Yet more pain he had to male them understand.

"I don't want to do this, Ichigo. You're making this harder than it has to be!" Toshiro yelled at Ichigo over the sound of their zanpakuto's ringing. Jumping back, Toshiro took a preparatory stance.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens," he began, but didn't have time to finish.

"No, you don't!" Ichigo knew what Toshiro was going to do, but soon he intervened. It was already three to one, and Ichigo wasn't about to let them gain any more advantages. At this point, Renji and Rukia had jumped in, causing Ichigo to block three different attacks at the same time. One had been more enough, considering that Toshiro was now captain class. All three of them was almost too much.

Jumping out of the confusion, Ichigo surveyed them. He could sense the hesitation in all of their attacks. Good, they were feeling guilty, and the pain was starting to take hold, but it wasn't enough. Just guilt wasn't enough to make them understand. Charging, Ichigo faced his friends, blade to blade, not holding back. He managed to cut them several times, but he was too occupied to see who or where he had cut. It was always one thing after another. Not even a small fraction of respite was allowed. Duck, block, attack, duck, block, block, attack, attack, duck, attack, there wasn't even a pattern to it all, making it even harder to minimize personal damage and maximize the opposition's. At least the guilt and hesitation was helping some.

"Ack!"

Ichigo jumped out of the battle. While blocking one severe attack from Rukia, Renji and Toshiro both landed massive blows to Ichigo's torso. One cut went across his entire back, the other pierced him through the right shoulder, making it difficult for Ichigo to hold Zangetsu. He glanced down at the black blade. It was covered in the thick red liquid, most of it his opponents', but some of his own had spilled onto it. He shook his bankai once, throwing most of it onto the emerald blades of grass, but not all, and took a defensive stance, ready for oncoming attacks.

But none came.

Toshiro stared, as did the others, but not with as much intensity. It was of neither guilt nor pity. Just a stare, no more, no less.

"Why are fighting?" Toshiro asked.

"Why do you hesitate?"

"Answer me, Ichigo."

"I did."

This time, it was Renji who spoke. "What are you talking about, Ichigo?"

He smirked, but did not look at them. He could see his chest heaving at the labor of breathing out of the bottom of his vision, but he couldn't feel it. The adrenaline was pumping as fast as it could. He felt more energy than pain.

Ichigo coughed blood.

"The reason you hesitate...it's because you don't want to hurt me...because we're friends...at least, we were...but it's because you care about me....you care...That's why I'm fighting...I care about my family...Yuzu, Karin, Dad, all of them...If I were to leave them, to die, they'd have wounds that would never heal...and we've been through enough already...The pain we've suffered, that's something that you can never understand..." Ichigo straightened, looking straight into Toshiro's eyes, unmoving. His eyes had this sensation, and he could feel them filling with tears. "We've been through to much, but that pain has made us stronger, closer. I _will_ fight to preserve those bonds. As long as I have them, no one, not even you can stop me."

No one said anything. No one moved. The whole world, all worlds, stood still, not daring to breathe, not daring to cause the feeling Ichigo felt course through him. It was a feeling of pride and strength. It was a feeling that could allow him to defeat every shinigami that was foolish enough to come his way. Finally, someone spoke.

"Did you say your _dad_?" Rukia inquired.

"That's right, I did."

"But didn't he...didn't he die?"

"Anything's possible, if I've learned anything from my life."

"But how?" Toshiro asked. The news of his ex-captain's being alive shocked him, his eyes gave him away.

"I'd love to tell you, but it'd take too long. I'd have to tell you everything that's happened to me."

Toshiro thought about it, so did Rukia and Renji. Ichigo didn't get his hopes up for a truce. After all, orders are orders. But them again, Toshiro _would_ be curious about this news, and Ichigo was sure all of them wanted to know what's been happening. Not like that Ichigo would tell them, though. It would be a waste of time and breath, to relive the past that was filled with pain and torment. No, they would have to live in the dark.

"As much as it interests me," Toshiro began, "I can't ask you to tell us. Ichigo, I'm sorry." The trio took a stance.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens..."

"Howl..."

"Dance..."

"Hyourinmaru!" "Zabimaru!" "Sode no Shirayuki!"

Simultaneously, three zanpakuto reached shikai before Ichigo's eyes. To anyone new to the way of the shinigami, just seeing one zanpakuto is amazing. The see three is utterly dazzling.

"I'm so, so sorry," Toshiro finished. The blue ice dragon that is Hyourinmaru lunged forward, it's jaw open for attack. Zabimaru on its right also went forward, the linking pieces stretching forward. Rukia began Sode no Shirayuki's first dance, White Moon.

This could possibly be one of the worst situations someone could be in. Three long-range zanpakuto's versus only one close-ranged. Two of them were ice, at that. Easily, they could freeze Ichigo to where he wouldn't even be able to defend himself. But...

But this could only _possibly_ be the worst situation.

Before Ichigo's leave, he had spent countless hours training with these three. At the time, there was no reason to expect that they would ever have to fight Ichigo for real, and they tried everything with each other. Since he had trained with them so much, Ichigo knew almost every move in their arsenals. True, they could say the same about him, but _they_ hadn't been training to control the, er, "advantage" that Ichigo recently obtained with his new "friends." There was no way they could know about that, therefore, he had the upper hand, at least strategically. Although he couldn't feel it, Ichigo could see the amount of damage he had already received during this battle. That, plus it being three against one, and the opposing side having less individual damage than the other side...well, Ichigo began to doubt whether or not he could pull out of this thing alive.

In a defensive state, Ichigo waited. He would stay waiting until the very last second, so they couldn't redirect their attacks so easily. It was as if they were moving in slow motion. Ichigo waited for what seemed like half and hour, and their attacks had only moved half an inch. At this rate, all of Ichigo's injuries would have healed by the time the attacks caught up with him, which, to Ichigo, wouldn't really be such a bad thing after all. Another few days later in his stretched time, the attacks had almost reached him, not but a few feet away. He tensed, trying to make it look like he was going to absorb the attack, stand his ground, but soon, the tense became real. Everything began to speed up when Ichigo saw a familiar figure run towards him in his peripheral vision. The dark-haired girl, still in her school uniform that Ichigo had been talking to not long ago, was running to him. But she didn't seem opposing, like a threat. No, she seemed sad, and afraid. Not afraid of getting hurt, but more like afraid of losing something, or someone, very important. Ichigo saw her, and she was coming right toward him. At her speed, she would be in the line of fire just in time to be hit. He couldn't let that happen. He was fighting to preserve the life he had gained, and she was an important piece to that life. If he lost her... But he couldn't move. Not to block her, not to grab her and run, not to protect her or get her to safety. He looked to the oncoming attacks, which had been so much closer than they had been not long ago. They were full of power. It wouldn't kill Ichigo if he got hit with that, although he would be severely beat up, but if she got that full impact...

Now everything was moving faster than it should have, like someone pushed the fast-forward button on a remote, making it move at least twenty times faster. He could see her tears, the small pearl-sized diamonds that streamed from her eyes. Today seemed to make her so upset, though none of it was anything she should be involved. Why did Ichigo have to pull her down with him? Why her, she who had such a good long life ahead of her? He had brought her too close to the danger he was surrounded by, and as he stood there, watching, there was nothing he could do to bring her from the darkness.

As the three attacks came closer, Ichigo recognized the churning in his stomach as fear. He feared for her, her and her life, and their relationship. Already, he had damaged it beyond repair, but to ruin her friendship and life? He wanted nothing else than to die on the spot, he felt so miserable for ruining one of the few people he had in life.

And since when did he care about her like this? She had just been another person that was in his class. She was also the first to be kind to him, to show him some kind of compassion. Everything about her become so familiar to him, her face, her smile, her laugh, and, as of late, her tears.

He could see the danger at hand, and, as it reached its target, Ichigo yelled at the top of his lungs.

"TATSUKI!"

**A/N: Hey, for all you Hitsugaya fans, I'm starting a new fan fiction (yes, for you worry-warts, I will be continuing this one). It's going to be called "Pieces of the Past." A quick summary of it is that Toshiro just woke up one day in the Kurosaki Medical Clinic, and he can't remember anything except for a few memories of when he was a toddler. Anything after that is totally black. He's living with the Kurosaki's, and has to share Ichigo's room (no, they don't do anything!) So yeah. I'm so going to have fun with that one. Tell me if you have any good ideas for it, cuz I don't have a lot of it planned out (I'm not one for organization). Alright, I will see you guys later! Oh, and thanks so much for reading this far, and I hope you continue to read.**

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha**

**PS~Hey, you there, yeah, that's right, you one the computer. I got one word for yah.......REVIEW!**

**XD ^_^ ;D XL XC P BD o.O lolz, hahahahaha!**


	18. Feelings Behind The Mask

**A/N: Okay, my Hitsugaya story is up and running, so y'all can go check it out if you wanna. Anyway, back to this one...**

"TATSUKI!" Ichigo yelled.

They were at the river, Ichigo was fighting three of the people that used to have a place in his life. Now, though, they were only enemies. However, Tatsuki was one that became a part of his life now, and she was about to be taken away from him. Too much had been taken so far. His mother, all those years ago, before he was even expected to attend the Academy to become a shinigami, was taken from him. His father was taken when he had just started in the Thirteen Protection Squads. His friends and family were taken when he was sentenced, overpowered by that creature known as a Hollow in him. He lost his freedom, his life. After working so hard, he was able to put pieces of his old family back together, and had even gained some friendships now. He had come to far and fought to hard to have anything taken away...especially her. She was the only one who seemed to care about what was in his head. She worried about him every time he was upset. She cared. Ichigo wasn't willing to give that up; it was too precious to him. But now, his old life threatened his new. He was about to lose everything..._again_.

Reflexively, Ichigo jumped to Tatsuki, wanting to get her out of danger, to protect her. Things were happening too fast. He was already feeling the pain, not just from his enemies' attacks, but from losing her, as well. The fierce damage was merely painful to Ichigo. What it would do to Tatsuki...

He reached her and the freezing ice and sharp blade reached them. Wrapping his arms around Tatsuki as tightly as he could, Ichigo bounded out of the danger, landing far away from it just as the combined forces collided to the spot where Ichigo had once been standing. How stupid he had been. He had been fighting with three people that could be very dangerous, and he forgot that Tatsuki was still there, watching it all. She could have been hurt, or worse... He looked at her, her eyes were still crying.

"What do you think you were doing?!" Ichigo asked her, hurt and confused. "You could have been killed!"

She didn't answer. Her eyes welled up, another wave of tears were coming. For Tatsuki to cry this much... Ichigo couldn't finish his thought. Tatsuki reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, wailing. She was so upset, it was too painful. Ichigo forgot the others. He forgot that he was in the middle of an enormous battle. Tatsuki was right in front of him, and she was pain. It was only natural that he comfort her.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Such a stupid thing. He knew what was wrong.

"What's wrong with you?!" Her voice was cracking, but she didn't move. "Just stop this!"

"What?"

"Look at yourself! You're just too- I mean, you're covered in your own blood! Can't you tell? I just want you to stop doing this. If not, you're gonna-you're gonna-"

Ichigo finished for her. "Die."

Her grip tightened.

"Tatsuki, you don't understand, this isn't something that I can just walk away from. I'm really fighting for my life here."

She didn't answer, just continued to cry.

"I'm sorry," Ichigo added. "You have to go, though."

Her head jolted up before Ichigo could finish his sentence. "Wait, what?"

"You have to go home, now. I don't want you get hurt. I'm sorry."

"But I-"

"No, just go home! I don't want you to get hurt! Just GO!" It hurt to hurt more than she already was, but it was necessary. She couldn't be here, not now when there was so much danger...

Reluctantly, Tatsuki released her hold of Ichigo, stood up, her eyes still welling, stepped back, turned around, and ran, the whole time still wanting to be in Ichigo's arms. He could her sob as she ran. A sharp pain hit his chest every time a cry reached his ears. Saddened, he turned back to the fight, now with even more reason to push them away. Rukia had a shocked look spread across her face, as did Renji. Toshiro's, though, softened with sympathy.

Ichigo pointed Tensa Zangetsu at them, just begging them to attack. Accepting his invitation, the three charged again, this time their movements in real time, not like before. Ichigo didn't have time to think now; he relied on his instincts and reflexes. The sound of his bankai blocking and cutting through their attacks turned into a rhythm, like the dull beating of a low drum in the background, although they were also harsh at the same time.

The sun was halfway below the horizon now, and the eastern side of the sky was dark. It'd been a few hours that they'd been fighting, but not much had changed since Tatsuki left. If Ichigo didn't speed things up soon, they would be there forever.

Should he use it? He'd been doing pretty well in training, but there was always the others there to stop him if anything went wrong. But it would give him such a boost, the fight would be over in no time. Then again, if the others were to go back to Soul Society and report this to Yamamoto, that would be just another reason for them to hunt Ichigo down. Two solutions that Ichigo could think of was one, to not let them go back, or two, just not use it. Wait, if he used it, then wouldn't that put the Vizards in danger as well? They were the ones who helped Ichigo control it, and they had been training with him every day since then. Plus, theirs was more developed than his, therefore more powerful. He would be involving them in this, too, although they were already marked in Soul Society. They'd be in greater danger. Although, they probably could just blow away anyone that came to challenge them. However, Ichigo couldn't take that risk.

What was going to do?

"Getsuga TENSHOU!" Ichigo yelled, releasing his attack. The point-blank range he had threw the others flying in the opposite direction. Renji even landed in the river, he and Zabimaru creating an monstrous wave that reached high in the air, then fell, like a rain shower. Coughing, Renji somehow made it to the bank, barely clutching Zabimaru in his right fist.

Toshiro struggled to stand. While he did, he muttered, "You're just not going to hold back, are you?" Instantly, Ichigo got the gist of what he was saying. Bracing himself, he prepared for what was coming next. Toshiro took a stance as well.

"Bankai."

The ice dragon and its wielder began to combine. It didn't take long for Toshiro's bankai to form. Soon, the large ice wings were spread, suspending the shinigami off the ground a few feet while in his right hand he held his zanpakuto.

Something was different, though, about Hyourinmaru's bankai. It was...bigger! What had caused it to grow such a size? It must have been twice the size that Ichigo had known, at least. What caused this? True, there had been a seven-month time period in which Ichigo had not seen this, but there was no way it could have grown...could there?

"I can see you're intimidated," Toshiro called. "You're wondering what caused its growth."

Ichigo didn't respond, but simply analyzed the bankai. What had done this? He looked to the surrounding area. Wait...ice was made of water...and there were...great job for Ichigo! He had to fight them where it would give two of his three opponents great advantages because of the river! Nice job, Ichigo, nice job.

"The river..." Ichigo muttered.

"Yes, the river." Toshiro answered.

Without another word, he rose to the sky, then plunged in a kind of death-roll, pointed straight at Ichigo. Once again, he had to rely on his instincts, and his instincts were telling him the wrong things, however, he couldn't ignore them, not now. He pulled his hand to his face, and within seconds, the death-roll Toshiro had launched struck the ground with a head-splitting tremor.

Toshiro jumped back to recover from his attack, and waited for the mist from the ice to clear. What he saw when it did clear, though, he wished he hadn't. Standing atop the vast amount of ice pillars was someone he thought he knew, but no longer. This person was wearing a mask that resembled all too much a Hollow that he had once seen, a Hollow that done so much damage to his former squad, a Hollow that took his captain away...

"Ichigo!" Toshiro yelled, not knowing what the purpose of the call would do.

In a flash, the Hollow-Ichigo left his spot on the ice, and Toshiro could no longer detect where he was, nor where he was going. Some strange sound, like shrieking and gurgling at the same time, came from behind Toshiro, but before he could turn to see what it was, some strange force cut through his ice wings, causing large light blue chunks to fall to the ground, quickly followed by a thick red liquid.

Pulling his blade from Toshiro's torso, Ichigo left him to fall. He looked to Rukia, who was closest. She was already out from the Getsuga Tenshou that Ichigo had launched not long ago, and Renji had used the last of his energy to pull himself out of the river.

Was that it? Had Ichigo won? In his sudden flash of relief, the Hollow mask across his face broke off, his bankai vanished, leaving him with the one and three-quarter meter long shikai. Although he should have finished the battle indefinitely right then and there, there was only one word that resonated within Ichigo's mind.

_Tatsuki..._

Rushing, Ichigo returned to his gigai and ran in the direction that Tatsuki had left in. The sun had set, the full moon placed among the clouds, the bright silver light illuminating the streets below. The light also bounced of the clouds, lighting the night sky, making it one of the most beautiful sights anyone could have witnessed. Ichigo ignored it completely; he was too engrossed in his search for his friend that she was the only thing that raced through his mind.

After nearly an hour of searching throughout the town, he paused to take a breath, only because his body was demanding it. In that pause, he had the first intelligent thought he had had in a long while. Looking out to the northeast, Ichigo began to run to Tatsuki's apartment. He hoped he could remember exactly where it was; he had only been there once when they were meeting up to go somewhere with their usual group of friends.

Within minutes, Ichigo arrived. Her apartment was on the third floor. He took to the stairs, three at a time, his heart pounding all the while, not from exhaustion, but of anxiety. How much had that attack hit her? How badly had he emotionally hurt her with his words? He pace quickened, almost tripped up the steps several times. He turned the corner, almost running into some old lady who smelled of cat litter and canned tuna. Finding the appropriate door, he knocked twice, yelling to beyond the door, "Tatsuki, please open the door! It's Ichigo!" He waited outside the door, listening for any sound inside the apartment.

Nothing.

"Tatsuki, please!" He knocked a few more times. He didn't care how loud he was being, so long as she knew he was there.

The sound of muffled footsteps came, and he knew she was coming to the door. Within the next few seconds, it stood open, the dark-haired girl standing before him.

Her eyes were red, tears still streaked her face. He looked at her clothes. Torn and tattered, small spots of red were on the sides. It wasn't too bad, just a few scratches. Even so, he didn't relax.

"I'm sorry," Ichigo breathed.

Tatsuki sniffed, then muttered, "You big idiot..."

With one step, she wrapped her arms around his torso, silently and gently sobbing. In a comforting way, Ichigo held her as well. As a warm feeling spread to every nerve in his system, Ichigo repeated, "I'm sorry."

**A/N: Aww, they got so close! How sweet! Who knows how this will work out? What about Toshiro and Rukia and Renji? What happened to them? Did they go back to Soul Society and tell Yamamoto about Ichigo's new power, or what? Who knows, but to find out, come back when I post the next chapter, okay? Okay!**

**Oh, and review! Tell me what you think about Ichigo and Tatsuki? Do you think this new-found relationship of theirs will work? Hmm?**

**;D**


	19. Found

"Hey, Ichigo!" Ichigo looked up to Tatsuki, who was standing in her kitchen. "Do you want something to drink, or something?"

"No, I'm good, thanks."

It was Wednesday afternoon, just a few days after the fight Ichigo had had with Toshiro, Renji, and Rukia. Since then, after school everyday, he would head over to Tatsuki's house. Of course, the Vizards weren't very happy that Ichigo was skipping out on his training, but he didn't care. He hadn't realized until not long ago that he really cared for Tatsuki...almost too much. That night that he came back, he told her everything, and he would always answer her questions immediately and truthfully. He was surprised that she actually believed anything that he told her, but after witnessing part of that battle, she probably would have believed anything Ichigo told her. Their relationship at school appeared pretty much the same, although they did seem closer than usual. No one pointed it out, at least, not yet. They were sure that Keigo was bound to start cracking jokes about it, and soon.

Ichigo hadn't told his family about that fight he had at the river. There was no need to get them excited over it. He had won, and he didn't want to have to think about it anymore than that.

Tatsuki walked over and sat beside him on the couch. They were doing their homework, as usual, although they talked so much, they rarely got anything done. Today, though, was an exception. Tatsuki didn't seem to talk that much, and she was actually doing her work. Of course Ichigo noticed it, and wasn't going to let it slide, not after she cared so much about what was wrong with him.

"What wrong? You're really quiet today."

Tatsuki looked up to him. "Oh, um, it's nothing really..."

"No really, what's wrong?"

"It's just..." Uncomfortable, she shifted away from him, placing her textbook on the coffee table in front of them. "It's about what you told me before."

"About what?"

"That place you talked about. The one that was all dark with the bad guys there and stuff."

"Hueco Mundo."

"Yeah, there." Tatsuki hugged her knees and placed her chin on top. "It's those guys there. If they wanted you to become one of them so bad, don't you think they'll come looking for you?"

Now that she mentioned, Ichigo could see that she was actual kind of right. "How long have you be thinking about that?"

"I just thought about it this morning when I was walking to school." Ichigo looked at her. Her eyes seemed sad once again. He was getting really tired of them looking like that. Attempting to comfort her, he reached over and hugged her. Not putting up a fight, Tatsuki placed her head against his chest.

"Don't worry about it, okay? I'll be fine. Even if they come, which I doubt they will, I'll have plenty of people to back me up." Ichigo wanted so badly to believe his own words, but he couldn't. Since it had been brought to his attention, he knew that they would come. The question now was "When?"...

Although Ichigo sure hadn't bought it, Tatsuki must have, because he could feel that his words had soothed her sadness enough for her to smile. "Thanks," she said, then began to hug him back.

This was a good feeling that Ichigo had now. As he held Tatsuki in his arms, he felt needed and appreciated. Not that anyone ever appreciated him before, but with Tatsuki, it was a completely different story. It felt like this was where he belonged, holding her, protecting her. Tatsuki, as if in an answer to his thoughts, reached her head up and kissed him on the lips.

"You're the best," she said as she pulled away.

"I'd have to disagree."

"Dork."

"So?"

Tatsuki laughed, but it was short-lived. Someone knocked at the door.

"Hey, Tatsuki!" someone called from the other side of her door. "Are you in there?"

Keigo. Of course. Why was he here? Was he trying to rally everyone for some kind of event or something like he always was? Sure enough, he answered without being asked.

"Hey, I thought everyone could come with me to see that new zombie movie. Please?"

"Hey, shut up down there!" someone down the hall yelled.

"No, you shut up, you old hag!" Keigo called back.

"You rude, insulting little boy!" Ichigo recognized the voice as the lady that smelled of cats twenty-four seven. Where pets even allowed in this apartment complex?

"I'm rude?! Yeah, well you're ugly!"

"Ugly, am I?!"

"Yeah, and fat, and old, and wrinkly, and ugly, did I say that already? And you're short, and that's probably a wig you're wearing to cover that ginarmous bald spot that takes up your entire head, and that make-up is perfect for a movie that will guarantee you'll crap your pants, and-"

"HOW DARE YOU! MR. FLUFFLES, GET HIM!"

From outside, the sound of a cat clawing its way down the hall ripped through the air almost literally, and the sound of Keigo's yells and screams were heard when the cat had apparently started attacking him.

"Ow! Hey, you stupid fur ball! Get the hell of me! Ow, hey, not there! Hey! _Hey!_ HEY! OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW!!! TATSUKI, HELP ME!"

Mixed with Keigo's various yells for help was the laughter of Ichigo and Tatsuki. They weren't just laughing at Keigo's current problem, but Ichigo couldn't get over the name of the cat. Mr. Fluffles? Really?

"HEY, STOP IT, ALREADY! YOU STUPID CAT, GET OFF ME!" The sound of fabric ripping and a cat's yelling was heard, and then there was a soft thud.

"Oh, Mr. Fluffles!" the lady cried. "You hurt my poor kitty...I ought to have you arrested!"

"Me?! It was your possessed ball of matted fluff that attacked me first! That was just self-defense!"

"Not for that! Your pants, boy!"

There was a brief pause, probably Keigo looking down to see what she meant, then there was a yell that blew the previous ones out of the water.

"MOMMAYYYYYYYYYY!" Keigo screamed. Quick footsteps were heard, along with the wailing of their classmate, but soon they disappeared. The only sound left was that of laughter, not light laughter, but side-splitting, fist-pounding, milk-out-of-your-nose kind of laugh.

"You in there! You're being too loud! Stop laughing!"

For a brief second, the two paused, but couldn't help but snicker for the rest of the afternoon. Ichigo could only imagine what had really happened to Keigo, but actually, he realized he didn't even want to know.

"Hey, Tatsuki."

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to come over to my place for dinner tonight?"

"Like I would say 'no.'"

"Heh, funny."

"I know."

They finished their homework, which was actually a first, and headed over to Ichigo's house. At first, Ichigo started to worry about what the others might say. Probably things like how he shouldn't involve her in what's going on, and how it'd probably be better to keep him distance and yada yada yada. If he had to explain that she knew everything, then he would have to bring up the fight he had at the river, causing everyone to get upset, which he couldn't do.

Walking up to the front door, Ichigo gave Tatsuki a warning.

"Okay, just be on your guard. My family can be...off."

"Oh, whatever, I'm hungry!"

Not fazed in the slightest, Tatsuki opened the door, letting herself into the house. The first thing anyone said to her wasn't even directed at her in the first.

"Ichigoooooo!" Isshin yelled as he ran down the front hallway at full force. Shocked, Tatsuki let her reflexes control her body, and the next thing Isshin knew, he was lying on his back from the front-kick Tatsuki had given him.

"O-ow," the dad muttered, then jumped up to his feet, acting like nothing had even happened. "And who might you be, miss?"

"Tatsuki Arisawa," she relied warily. Now she knew what Ichigo meant by "off." This guy seemed kind of crazy running down the hall like that when he thought it was his son coming home. She began to wonder if it was always like this.

"Well, Miss Tatsuki, why have you decided to join us this evening?" he asked, trying to be super-polite.

"Uh, Ichigo asked me over." She pointed to the embarrassed orange-haired person behind her with her thumb.

Getting that...that weirdness he had earlier, Isshin began to address his son. "So, you're bringing home ladies now! That's my boy! Tell me, have you gotten anywhere with her?" He put his hand up to cover his mouth when he asked this, raising his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Uh, Dad, I wouldn't talk abou-"

"OW!" Isshin yelled. Filled with rage, Tatsuki had kneed him in the gut, sending him to the floor once again. She turned to Ichigo.

"I see what you meant earlier by 'off.'"

"I warned you, just for the record."

"Whatever." Ignoring the pained father on the floor, Tatsuki let herself in to see the rest of the house, leaving the two male Kurosakis with each other. Waiting until Tatsuki had left, Isshin stood up to face Ichigo.

"But seriously, why'd you invite her here?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Trying to ignore his father's questions, Ichigo started to step down the hall, but Isshin grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"Ichigo, you do know what could happen, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Does she?" Isshin pointed his head in Tatsuki's general direction.

"...Yeah, she does." Shaking off his father's hold, Ichigo continued down the hall to find Tatsuki in the kitchen watching Yuzu cook some yakimono, something she hadn't made in a while. She offered to help in various places, but Yuzu insisted that it wasn't the guest's place to help prepare the meal, so she had to back off some.

"Yuzu," Ichigo called, "how long until dinner's ready?"

"About five minutes," she called back while attending to something on the stove.

While waiting the few minutes left until the food was ready, Ichigo and Tatsuki joined Karin to watch some TV. Nothing too interesting was showing, so they settled to watch big guys beat each other up in a ring, and soon enough, they were joined by Isshin, who couldn't stop glancing over to Ichigo and his guest every few seconds.

"Food's up!" Yuzu called.

Dinner was pretty quiet. Tatsuki tried to compliment Yuzu, saying that she did a great job cooking, and all she would get was a smile and a polite thank you, and the conversation would end there. Hastily, Ichigo finished his meal in record time, and Tatsuki, seeing his plan, did the same. They excused themselves from the table and ran to hide out in Ichigo's room.

"Dude, was that tense, or what?" Tatsuki commented as she flopped down on Ichigo's bed as he took a seat at his desk.

"They're just nervous about it, that's all."

"About what?"

"You have to ask?"

Tatsuki didn't answer, getting the gist of what he was saying. After a while, Tatsuki spoke once more.

"You know, I'm kinda happy that you guys came here. I mean, it's terrible that all of that had to happen, but if it hadn't I wouldn't have been able to meet you." She looked at him to see that he was staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing, but I'm happy, too." His words were sincere, Tatsuki could tell that much, but there was something else, something underneath, although she couldn't place what it was. Well, whatever it was, she would have to overlook it for now. She sat up, looking straight into Ichigo's eyes, a little too close.

"Ichigo..." she whispered so that chills ran up his spine. Too stunned, he said nothing. Then the three binding words escaped her lips.

"I love you."

Leaning in even father, she kissed him, more than before, and he kissed her back. Pulling back for only a second, Ichigo responded, "I love you too." They continued to kiss, and Tatsuki wrapped her arms around Ichigo's neck, he wrapped around her waist. It was too good to last, though.

There was a knock at the door, followed by the apprehensive voice of Yuzu. "Ichigo, you need to get down here. It's...it's really bad." Her voice hinted that she was on the edge of crying. What happened to make Yuzu cry? Surely it was bad, considering he was usually so happy about, well, pretty much everything.

Pulling back from Tatsuki, who also felt the urgency, Ichigo called back, walking to the door. "What's wrong?" He opened the door. Her face showed how she was feeling more than her voice was. Struggling to hold back her tears, she lifted her low head.

"They've found us."

**A/N: Okay, so it was kind of long, and it felt to me like it moved kind of slow, but I got to where I wanted it to be in the end.**

**Hey, tell me what you guys think about the Ichigo/Tatsuki thing, okay? I really wanna know. Oh, PS, their relationship will take a turn for the worse in the next chapter. I'll give you a hint, though: they don't break up with each other. Okay, so that's kind of obvious, but there are some people who are slow. I bet you guys can't wait for the next chapter!**

**Oh, and I started reading this new book series, or at least it's new to me. I'm still only in the first book, but it's really good. It's called the House of Night books, and you guessed it, it's a vampire book. There's four books so far: Marked, Betrayed, Chosen, and something else that I can't remember, but yeah. Oh, and that's in order. Warning: includes content not suitable for those, oh, let's say, younger than fourteen. Plus, the language is far from "nice." But it's got an awesome plot, so I hope y'all get into those if you want to. **

**Alright, see y'all next time! Oh, and please review!**

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha =]**


	20. Cero Part One

"They've found us," Yuzu said, her voice filled with obvious despair.

"Who has?" Ichigo asked, already knowing the answer.

"Those people...the ones that took Dad away..."

_What?! Ulquiorra and the other Arrancar? Or is it Aizen...No, he's probably still at Las Noches, sending his goons out to do his dirty work...Do thy want me that bad? Or did they come out for Dad?_

Ichigo turned back to Tatsuki. Her face was stricken with horror. Her fears that she had claimed earlier that day were coming true. Oh, the irony. She as if she might cry. Grabbing his arm, she mouthed, "Ichigo." He didn't know what to do. Without a plan, he stormed downstairs, but froze on the bottom step.

"Hello, Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo knew that voice. It had pained him ever since he spoke those first few words to him. He could remember the pain he felt, the burning that seemed like it was going to destroy his life. Those unfeeling eyes bore into his. He had one hand on the hilt of his blade, the other stuffed in a pocket, as was his usual manner.

"Ulquiorra..." The green-eyed Arrancar smiled slightly. Odd.

"So you remember my name...That's a start."

"What do you want?!" Ichigo asked, raging that he had dared come here.

"What do you think we want?!" countered someone else. Ichigo had failed to notice that Ulquiorra was not alone. The one who had answered had light blue hair and a smirk on his face bigger than Ichigo had ever seen. He had fangs, not like vampire, but like animal. His mask added to the animal look; it was shaped like some kind of tiger's jaw, or close to, and it covered his right cheek. His eyes held a malicious, battle-ready, arrogant look. Wait, he thought he remembered his dad mentioning something about this person...Oh, what was his name...

"Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said, "let's not be like that. We have to be nice to him."

"Why the hell should I be nice to this brat?!"

"Aizen-sama made our orders very clear. If he is to become one of us, we must treat him like one of us."

"That's bullshit! It's not like he's going to remember this after he Changes." He crossed his arms, apparently pissed off by the emo Arrancar **[I just had to throw that in]**. "Oh, what's this?" He seemed his usual arrogant, but also interested. "Is that a lady, we have here?"

Ichigo turned around. He had been too preoccupied to notice that Tatsuki had come down the stairs. Yuzu decided the safer place was upstairs. Smart girl. But what was Tatsuki doing?

"Well, looks like Kurosaki's getting it on with the ladies!" Grimmjow remarked with a laugh. Was he amused? This guy just didn't have any boundaries, did he?

"Leave her out of this!" Ichigo yelled.

"Why should we?! If you brought her into your life, then she's involved. There's no getting around that!" Stupid Grimmjow...although he had a point. He should never have let Tatsuki in. He knew what he should have done, but his greed got in the way. He cared too much for Tatsuki, and he knew she cared for him. He could feel that they were meant to be together, and he just couldn't walk away from that.

Ichigo didn't know what to say. He felt the truth of Grimmjow's words, and it stung. Badly. But what was he going to do? This area was too small for him to fight two of the Espada, and since he didn't know what Grimmjow's strength was, it was too risky to fight at all. But maybe... Where was Ichigo's dad? Had they already taken him down? No, Isshin was too tough for that. He would never let the Arrancar get in the way of him and his family.

"Ichigo, we're waiting," Ulquiorra stated, like he was expecting Ichigo to just sign up to join their ranks. This wasn't going to be as easy as that. "Are you going to take all day?" he continued, lifting his weapon partially out of it's sheathe. "Or do we have to force you to come?"

Ichigo could feel Tatsuki's grip on his shoulder. He could feel her anxiety and fear through her touch, and he wasn't liking it. What was he going to do? As though Ulquiorra could read his thoughts, he asked, "What are you going to do?"

Ichigo didn't answer. Where was his dad? If he was here, they might have a chance, but he was nowhere to be seen. Tatsuki tightened her hold on Ichigo, but, as much as didn't want to, he reached up and released her grasp. "I'm sorry, Tatsuki," he whispered to where only she could hear. "I have to fight them. If you would, would you go back upstairs?" Reluctant as she was, Tatsuki did as he said. She must have learned from the last time. Removing himself from his gigai, Ichigo faced the two Espada, with Zangetsu pointing straight at them.

"So you choose to fight?" Ulquiorra questioned. He eyed Ichigo warily. What? It's not like he hasn't fought him before. "Grimmjow?" Do what?

"Oh, yeah!" The blue-haired Arrancar lunged forward with great intensity. His blade was out before Ichigo could even blink. He lost sight of the enemy, and , not knowing what to do, he braced himself for an attack. He had fought like this before...somewhere. Where was that? He couldn't remember, although he could feel he was so close to, but now was not the time to be looking back at memories. He was fighting for his freedom, just as he was not long ago at the river. Preparing for any kind of attack, Ichigo tensed.

Wait, what just happened? The room seemed to have shifted, or rather, Ichigo changed his position, but he hadn't moved intentionally. He noticed he was on his side. What just happened? Then he felt the pain. His right side burned with pain as he could feel the place where a blade had slashed his skin, and he could feel the warmth of the blood trickling down his side, down either side of him, and onto the floor, forming a crimson puddle. But where was Grimmjow? That must have been what had hit him; who else would come at Ichigo with an attack like that? He was standing in front of Ulquiorra this time by a few feet. His sword was in front of him, straight up and dripping blood.

"What? Did I catch the captain off-guard? Or was he just too slow?!" Oh, how Ichigo hated his arrogance, his better-than-you attitude, the atmosphere around him that screamed like bloody murder "I am King!" Someone like that shouldn't be allowed to live. He had such a higher opinion of himself than anything or anyone else that met his view, probably even anything that hadn't. What was Ichigo doing, just laying on the floor like that, like a dog before its abusive master? Slowly, he stood up. He didn't want to pull anything too fast, that might, no, it would, increase his blood loss. What was he going to do if he couldn't pull any trick? This was going to be hard, harder than fighting Toshiro, Renji, and Rukia all at the same time. This was just one person, too! Not saying anything, Ichigo looked like he wasn't about to attack, just to throw Grimmjow off, then charged. The change between the two was so quick, it was as though it hadn't even happened.

He could tell that Grimmjow hadn't expected an attack just then. The space between them wasn't too far apart, and he only realized what was happening just as it was too late. He started to shift, causing Ichigo's attack to go off-mark by a small measurement. Ichigo had been aiming where a heart would be, but since Grimmjow had moved, he hit the middle of the chest. Ichigo could feel the crack of his sternum through Zangetsu. It was sick, but it was going to help him gain an edge in the fight. He realized then that Grimmjow might be big on power, he didn't have much going for him upstairs, which could prove useful later.

Then was when the real fight commenced. Left and right, up and down, Ichigo moved and dodged and attacked. He didn't think, he only felt, like he had before. It was probably easier fighting like this, no heavy thoughts to distract him. Although this was a nice bonus, it didn't help out so much strategically. Only fighting the now part, not worrying about what might happen as a result of the current movement, could give a disadvantage. There was, though, another factor to weigh in. Ichigo could tell that Grimmjow wasn't one for strategy. He seemed as though he only fought for fighting. It was like a drug to him; the high he received in battle was too irresistible.

Ichigo flew back. Grimmjow used a cheap trick. He started to go down and to Ichigo's left with his sword, then used his fist to send a punch right where Ichigo had pierced him earlier, sending Ichigo to the wall behind him. _Oh, so he's a dirty fighter, too? _Ichigo thought, reevaluating his opponent. Not letting the punch get to him, Ichigo jumped back in, coming with stronger attacks than before. His movements became more intricate, weaving in and out of the oncoming attacks, slashing at Grimmjow's extended arm frequently. Apparently, he was slow at learning in battle, too.

"You little shit!" Grimmjow howled, using his left hand to clutch his right wrist.

Ichigo had severed his hand.

He couldn't help but smirk as Grimmjow became distraught. Lucky for Ichigo that when he had removed his hand, the bloody weapon was sent flying to the other end of the room and somehow managed to lodge itself into the wall with the fist still wrapped around its hilt.

"I'm gonna kill you for this!" Grimmjow screamed, clearly upset that he had lost his hand.

"Grimmjow, I don't think that's necessary," Ulquiorra interjected.

"Shut the hell up!"

"That's no way to talk to your superior."

So Grimmjow was lower than Ulquiorra? He didn't have this hard a time when he fought Ulquiorra. Had their power rankings shifted, and Ulquiorra had gotten stronger? Or had Ichigo just gotten rusty? Although he hated to admit it, the first option was probably more likely.

Not bothering to push the concept father, Grimmjow ignored his green-eyed companion as he launched various physical attacks toward Ichigo. Punches, kicks, knees in the gut, feet crushing against the side of his face... Grimmjow's physical strength seemed greater than his power _with_ a weapon. Slashing everywhere he could, Ichigo could tell that he was losing. They had been at it for a while, and Ichigo could feel his energy fading, and fast. Grimmjow, though, was another story. It seemed that the longer the battle wore on, the more energy and power he was getting. Maybe it was an adrenaline rush. Maybe anger...or is that adrenaline anyway? Something was giving him extra power, but what _was_ it? Ichigo had never encountered something like this before. Forget about potentially-fatal wounds, Ichigo had to go all out. Putting distance between him and the blue-haired fighter, he said the one word that would hopefully help him win this.

"Bankai."

Tensa Zangetsu seemed to come to him quicker than before, probably because of his urgency, although things had been urgent before. Bankais were difficult to understand, and they couldn't always be properly or clearly deciphered. Then, without even trying to gage his bankai against pure Grimmjow, Ichigo added the extra strength of his Hollow. A great weight seemed to have lifted from his shoulders when he called this power, even though he hadn't noticed one had been placed on him. It was a rush he always felt when he used it. It held power and victory for him, but that's also why he didn't like to use it in battle often. It was some saying that his father use to tell him in the good old days. "True strength comes from courage." It had sounded kind of...well, let's just admit it, lame when his dad first said it, but after he had passed, Ichigo began to find meaning in those words. As of late, he had almost completely forgotten them, but for some odd reason, they flashed through his head spontaneously.

Naturally, the opposing side was shocked at his power; there were very few who had ever attained it. Another phrase flashed through Ichigo's mind, this one not from his dad: "the element of surprise." He couldn't remember where he had heard it, but it fit here, and Ichigo could see its relativity.

Taking advantage of their astonishment, Ichigo attacked, throwing all of his force into his moves. Not ten seconds had passed as he paused to observe the damage he had dealt. He manged to put a deep gash on his left shoulder, along with her lower torso. Other, more minor cuts were dealt to various places on his arms and legs. Ichigo also managed to get a cut right under his left eye.

"What are you?!" Grimmjow questioned, confused how the "little shit" had gotten so strong in just a few seconds.

"Your opponent!" Ichigo answered. That's all he was willing to give to Grimmjow. It was also all he had time for. Without even thinking about it, his body lurched forward for another attack instinctively. Going for a head-on slash, Ichigo held Tensa Zangetsu just over his head, prepared to cut down in an instant. He neared, and began to bring down his bankai, but Grimmjow did something that Ichigo wouldn't have guessed of. He held out his hand, like he was going to catch him. Though Ichigo was puzzled, as anyone would have been, he followed through with his attack. Grimmjow had his hand positioned just in the right spot, and he caught the blade. No, he didn't. What was that he just used? When the blade reached his hand, a shot of reiatsu fired from his palm, deflecting the attack, sending Ichigo away. So the fighter had some more tricks up his sleeve? If that's the way he wanted to play it, that was fine with Ichigo. He hadn't even landed when he released his next attack. "Getsuga Tenshou!" The ray of red-black energy shot from his blade. Ichigo could feel the attack drain him slightly. He watched, not long, as the attack flew across the room with magnificent speed. Ulquiorra showed no surprise, but Grimmjow hadn't seen this attack before. Apparently, the former hadn't warned him of this attack. Was it forgetfulness? Probably not. Ulquiorra didn't seem one to forget things like enemy abilities and tactics quite so easily.

Getsuga Tenshou struck Grimmjow right in his middle. Ulquiorra must have seen this outcome before hand, for he stepped to the side just in time to avoid being hit by a certain flying Espada. He had such velocity that he kept going through the wall and out into street. Ichigo could have sworn he heard someone "Damn that shit!"and spit at the ground.

With impossible speed, Grimmjow flew back into the room, his only fist in front. He hadn't gotten far when Ichigo automatically raised Tensa Zangetsu again and released a Getsuga Tenshou. Once again, Grimmjow flew outside the house, making the hole he had previously created expand. Anger must have filled him and clouded his thinking, because, once again, he came into the house ready to hit Ichigo head-on. Another Getsuga Tenshou. Another trip outside. Another flying fist. Another Getsuga Tenshou. Another trip outside. It was a hopeless cycle that Grimmjow hadn't even thought about breaking. Ichigo ended up firing another two shots, making a total of five, when Grimmjow paused.

"I'm not going to let a shit like you beat me!"

Arrogance and self-pride pushed him to fly again. He just wouldn't give up. Maybe that's what was keeping him going... Ichigo, like he did before, prepared to release his attack, but something was different this time. "Getsu-" was as far as he got. He couldn't follow through with it.

The mask broke.

Grimmjow noticed, too. Giving a smug cackle, he seemed to gain speed while he was airborne. With a sickening crack, Grimmjow hit Ichigo square in the jaw, sending him through the wall. With another burst of excited laughter, Grimmjow mocked Ichigo.

"Who's the tough guy now?!"

Struggling to his feet, Ichigo spat to the side. He could feel the metal taste in his mouth he knew as blood. The room was spinning slightly through Ichigo's eyes. Grimmjow continued to smirk as he watched Ichigo get to his feet. Once he was full height, Grimmjow went for a kick, sending Ichigo to the far side of the room. With a gasp for air, he hit the wall. With the wind knocked out of him, it was difficult to move for a while.

"What's wrong, Kurosaki?!" Grimmjow mocked. His attitude was getting really annoying.

With heavy limbs, Ichigo got to his feet. _Damn_, that Grimmjow hit hard. Wait, where'd he go? Ichigo looked around, but Grimmjow was nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd he...?" Ichigo muttered to himself.

"UP HERE!" came a voice from above.

Looking up, Ichigo found his opponent coming at him. He looked like a professional wrestler, or something of the like, with his elbow sticking out in what resembled some type of body dive. Almost as soon as Ichigo looked up, Grimmjow's elbow lodged itself into Ichigo's left shoulder. Letting out a scream, Ichigo fell to the right, clutching where Grimmjow had hit him. The blue-haired Espada walked over to him with a disappointed look on his face.

"Is this all you have? I thought you would put up a better fight than this..." He lifted his foot and placed on Ichigo's throat, pressing down enough body weight to cause pain without breaking Ichigo's neck. As much as he wanted to, Ichigo couldn't yell or scream or anything; Grimmjow's foot was blocking his airways. Yet another smirk crossed Grimmjow's face, and, removing his foot from Ichigo's throat, kicked him in the gut, sending him to the other side of the room, leaving another hole in the wall. Walking over to Ichigo, Grimmjow lifted him by his neck. He placed his hand-less arm against him to hold him up, and with his only fist, he threw punch after punch after punch at Ichigo.

It hurt. A lot. And Grimmjow was moving so fast, there was no way to count how many times he had already been hit. His body was too heavy to move in any type of resistance. The only thing he could do was take every throw that was launched at him.

Ichigo heard footsteps. Quickly, they grew louder, but then abruptly stopped. The punches stopped, then Ichigo was dropped to the floor.

"Get off him!" Ichigo heard someone scream. Turning his head, he saw Tatsuki. She had jumped on Grimmjow and throwing punches left and right as he struggled to get her off his back. Stupid girl. She was going to get hurt. Not wanting to lose her, Ichigo used all his energy and then some to sit up. He had to use Tensa Zangetsu for support.

"Ta-Tatsuki, stop it!" he sputtered. He was out of breath, and he doubted his voice got very far. What was he going to do? If he could find the energy, he could launch a Getsuga Tenshou, but he might, no, would probably hit Tatsuki, too. Grimmjow was struggling so much, there was no way to get a clear shot. It seemed anything he might do, he would hurt her. Even so, there wasn't anything he could even if she wasn't in the way. Although it pained him in so many ways to admit, Grimmjow had won. His dad never came. They must've already taken him out, caught him by surprise or something.

"Aah!" Tatsuki screamed. Grimmjow had managed to throw his fist over his shoulder, hitting Tatsuki in the face and throwing her to the ground. A streak of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. That bastard! He was going to pay for this!

Before Tatsuki could attack Grimmjow again, he said to Ulquiorra, "Would you take care of her for me?" In silent agreement, Ulquiorra stepped forward and held his hand out, palm forward.

"No, don't touch her!" Ichigo yelled, this time managing to catch the others' attention. Ulquiorra spared him just a side glance for a brief second or two, then turned back to what was before him.

Ichigo could hear more footsteps, this time they were coming from outside. Had they brought reinforcements? This was it. Everything was going to be taken from him. Again. This time, there would be no one to help him escape to a better place. He couldn't go to Soul Society, they would kill him. In Hueco Mundo, they would take away who he was, which was no better than killing him. And he couldn't go to the World of the Living, they would find him just as they had this time. Everywhere he looked he saw misery or death. There was no happiness in his future. Ichigo could feel the tears welling. There was no escape.

The footsteps changed their sound as they entered the house. Ichigo couldn't count how many there were, but it didn't matter. His gaze was unmoving as he watched a helpless Tatsuki face her death. It took one word to end it all.

"Cero."

It felt like someone had shoved a white-hot branding iron down Ichigo's throat, pressing it deep into his heart as he heard Tatsuki's screams fill the air. The were high and fear-filled, and, most of all, sad. The tears fell of their own accord as Ichigo watched her body vanish into the blast, her silhouette fading as the blast went on. Soon, he couldn't see her figure anymore, and the blast disappeared. As the last of the energy vanished, Ichigo's eyes searched frantically for her. There were scorch marks all over the floor, one small area where it was lighter than the others. But Tatsuki...Tatsuki was nowhere to be seen.

The branding iron seemed to somehow getting hotter than before, and it invited friends that pierced Ichigo all over. She wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere. She was gone.

Tatsuki was dead.

**A/N: One, yes, I just had to call Ulquiorra emo; it's a given. Two, I'm sorry I killed Tatsuki. What will Ichigo do now that she was dead? Who were the ones that were approaching the Kurosaki house earlier? Are they really Arrancar, or they someone else? What about Isshin, Ichigo's dad? Where had he been while his son fought and was beaten to a bloody pulp and an innocent school girl was killed? All this will be coming up later!**

**First, let us have a moment of silence honoring the brave Tatsuki....................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................................... **

**Thank you for reading, and please review!**

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha :( **


	21. Cero Part Two

No it couldn't be true. She had to be here somewhere... she just had to. But where? She wasn't anywhere he could see. Maybe she ran upstairs in time to dodge it, and she was hiding from the danger with Yuzu and Karin. That had to be it. There was no way she was-

"Dead!" Grimmjow yelled with cheer. "Your girlfriend's dead, Kurosaki!"

He was lying. He had to be. Tatsuki wasn't dead. She was hear somewhere.

"Ichigo!" someone yelled. Who was that? If it wasn't Tatsuki, he didn't care. He wanted to see her, to make sure she was okay. "Ichigo!" the person yelled again. Although Ichigo didn't want to look, Grimmjow did.

"Oi, who are you?!" Grimmjow yelled.

"Who are you?" the person called back.

"I asked you first!"

"Well, I'm asking you now!"

Ichigo ignored the bicker between Grimmjow and the unknown person. He fell to his hands and knees, his eyes full of tears that were constantly streaming down his face. She couldn't be dead... She _could not _be dead! He didn't want her to be.

Suddenly, something struck the side of Ichigo's face, knocking him to his side. Now whoever had entered caught his attention. He looked up to see Shinji standing over him, with his fist extended. Did he just punch Ichigo in the face?

"You look pathetic, Ichigo," Shinji said, looking up and down Ichigo, observing the many wounds he had received from his battle with Grimmjow. "Come on, we have to get you out of here." He bent down, and picked Ichigo up by his shoulder, carrying him to the door. Ichigo noticed that all of the others except Hatchi was there. Shinji muttered, "Take care of them," then continued guiding Ichigo out of the house. Immediately, Ichigo could hear Grimmjow yelling, accusing Ichigo of running away, but were drowned out by the others' cries of battle.

Moving quicker than Ichigo thought possible, he and Shinji arrived back at the warehouse where they train, and found Hatchi waiting for them just inside the door. He had a mat prepared for Ichigo, and Shinji laid him there. Hatchi used healing kido on Ichigo's many wounds, and Shinji sat beside him. They didn't say anything, just waited for Ichigo to be healed. It took over an hour, maybe more than two. In groups of one or two, the other Vizards returned. The last two, Kensei and Risa, had brought Yuzu and Karin with them. Ichigo's sisters looked frightened, shook up a bit, but they were unharmed. But if they came back...

Oh, he couldn't lie to himself anymore. Tatsuki _was_ dead, and it had been his fault. What would everyone at school think if Tatsuki didn't show up anymore? And if someone asked Ichigo? How would he react? He knew his friends wouldn't forgive him if they found out that it was his fault she died. They wouldn't even have to listen to exactly what happened, and they would hate him.

Hatchi finished the healing process, although he gave Ichigo a warning to take it easy for a while, and went to join the others, who had congregated on the other side of the warehouse. Shinji, however, didn't leave.

"Ichigo, why haven't you been coming to training this week?" he asked, apparently upset that Ichigo had been ditching.

Ichigo didn't answer, he couldn't. He would have to talk about her, and that would just bring more pain, more realization that she wouldn't be in his life anymore.

"Why aren't you answering me?! Geez, you're pathetic. I can' believe you got yourself beat up so bad by an Arrancar, especially that blue-haired one. Really, what's been going on with you?"

Ichigo refused to talk. He just looked away from Shinji's gaze. The Vizard tried several more times to get Ichigo to talk, but soon gave up as he found it a hopeless cause, and went to join the others. Once Shinji left, though, Karin and Yuzu came up to Ichigo. Just what he needed, his little sisters to see how upset he was.

"Ichigo..." Yuzu said.

"What happened to Tatsuki?" Karin asked.

Ichigo winced as he thought about it. Her scream still echoed in his ears. It was so terrified, and he had been too weak to protect her. It was his fault. He looked away from his sisters to hide his tears.

"No..." Yuzu denied. In her eyes, Tatsuki had been such a nice person, and she was sure that if she visited once or twice more they would have become great friends. This was just sad.

Wanting to get their (and his) minds off of Tatsuki, Ichigo asked, "What happened to Dad?"

"There were actually three Espada that came, and one of them already took Dad away before any of us could do anything," Karin explained. Isshin had been captured so easily? What was Aizen and them going to do with him once they returned to Las Noches? Surely, they would realize that he still knew who he was, and what his true purpose must have been all along. They would see him as a threat, and to them, all threats had to be eliminated. But how soon? Truly, this was the worst day in Ichigo's entire life, and it had been a long life.

Ichigo looked out one of the small, cracked windows of the warehouse. The sky was mostly dark, the sun already below the horizon. Only a small bit of pink-ish light grazed the low clouds in the west. It was like the sky was his life, Ichigo thought. It had once been so bright, full of joy and happiness, but everything was being taken away from him, the happiness was leaving, allowing misery, pain, and suffering to replace it. The only little happiness he had left were Yuzu and Karin, but if his strange life metaphor was true, they too would fade away. He wanted to wonder how, but then decided against it.

Thankfully, one of the Vizards brought Ichigo his gigai. Once it was completely dark outside, he returned to his artificial body, and, like everyone else in the warehouse, found a comfortable place to sleep. (The Vizards had made the uppermost floor like a bedroom, except all the beds were in one room. They weren't perfect, but they were better than the floor.)

After what seemed like hours, he fell into a sleep that was disturbed by nightmares of the moment of Tatsuki's death, the frightened scream clawing at his ears constantly.

The next day was a nightmare.

Ichigo skipped training today again, mostly because Hatchi insisted that he rest some more. At first light, he dressed, and at the appropriate time, took Yuzu and Karin to school while on his way to his. He reluctantly walked into class, his head low. Although class didn't start for another twenty minutes, most everyone was already in there. He thought he overheard someone talking about strange explosions while they were having dinner. Taking his seat, he was confronted by his usual group of friends. Keigo was in front, and he was limping oddly. Memories of last night's incident flashed through Ichigo's mind, and he smiled, but only for a brief second when he remembered who it was he had laughed with.

"Good morning, Ichigoooo!" Keigo greeted. "What is up, my man?" Although Ichigo usually never answered this redundant question, some of the others noticed that there was an uneasy silence coming from Ichigo, especially Orihime, although she didn't say anything. Keigo, on the other hand, did.

"Hey, do you know where Tatsuki is?" he asked, oblivious to how Ichigo cringed when he said her name. "I went to her place last night to see if she wanted to go to a movie, but she didn't answer when I knocked on the door." He must have not heard the laughter. "And she's usually here at about this time. Did she go on some kind of trip?"

Ichigo didn't answer him.

"So she _did_ go on a trip! Where to, I wonder. And why didn't she take me! It's not fun without me going along. So, Ichigo, where did she go? Come on, tell me!"

"Why are you asking me all this, Keigo?!" Ichigo yelled, so loud that the entire room fell silent. "Why should I know where she is?!" Why was he getting so defensive? Maybe it was because he knew they would hate him if they found out what happened.

Keigo, still oblivious to his oh so apparent anger, replied, "Because you two are really close. Why wouldn't I ask? Everyone knows how chummy you two are, especially the past few days." And Ichigo thought they had been hiding it so well.

"Well, stop asking me!"

"Ichigo," Orihime interrupted, "did you and Tatsuki have a fight or something?"

"No, it's-" Ichigo stopped there. He didn't want to say it. He didn't want to verbally admit the depressing truth. It would be too much. He could already feel it coming now.

"It's what?" Everyone in the room seemed to have their eyes on Ichigo, all wanting to know what happened. Ichigo looked to Orihime, who had asked the question, and his face was worried, really worried. Ichigo gave up. He dropped his head in shame, and answered.

"Tatsuki's dead."

No one said anything, no one gasped, or made shocked or surprised sounds, or maybe even breathed. Tatsuki dead? It seemed so unthinkable to most everyone in the class. Ichigo knew he wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it first hand.

Breaking the thick silence, Orihime asked, "How?"

"It-It was my fault," Ichigo managed to sputter. He could feel the tears in his eyes, and he knew they would be spilling over any second. "It was all my fault..." He stopped talking and just cried. Now everyone was really surprised. If something made Ichigo, big tough guy that no one wanted to mess with, cry, it had to be really bad.

"Ichigo, what happened?" Keigo was bold enough to ask. He was crazy if he thought that he was going to get an answer out of Ichigo at this point.

Ichigo couldn't take it. He just couldn't stay with everyone here, now that they knew it was Ichigo's fault. That, and he knew that all day, he would be staring at the empty seat next to him, just like everyone else. He would spend the entire day just waiting for the door to open, and Tatsuki would rush in, apologizing for being late and all that, even though he knew it would never happen. Ichigo grabbed his bag that had been sitting on his desk and ran out of the room, almost running into a girl that was just walking in. He could hear her ask the others "What happened?" Running down the steps, he turned left and started toward his house. Why there, he didn't know, he just ran where he feet were taking him. It seemed to take forever, although he felt like he was running faster than ever before.

Coming up to his house, he could see exactly how much damage his battle with Grimmjow had caused. There was a large hole in the front of the house, roughly six by eight feet. Stray planks of wood were scattered across the road in front and in the garden, and pretty much just anywhere out front. It was the closest entrance, so he leaped into the living room from the hole, stopping a few feet inside. Dropping his bag on the floor, he looked around. There were a lot of holes in the walls, and scratches on the ceiling and floor. The front door was hanging on one hinge, as were some of the cabinets in the kitchen. The dishes from last night's dinner were still in the sink, although a few plates and a glass had fallen to the floor, as had most of the clean dishes that had been put away. Even the refrigerator was one its side. The couch was torn up so bad, you couldn't even tell it was a couch anymore. The TV had been cut in half. Everything was in total disarray. Just how did the fight between the Espada and Vizards go down? Actually, Ichigo didn't want to think about. The only area of the floor that hadn't been scratched up (miraculously) was the scorched place, the place where Tatsuki had last touched. He walked in front of it, right where Ulquiorra had stood when he launched his Cero. He might as well have been in this spot; it was as much Ichigo's fault that Tatsuki had died. He was the one that introduced her to this dangerous world. It was he who told about what he was and what he had gone through. He was the one who brought her over, that night of all nights, for dinner. He was the one who didn't protect her, who wasn't strong enough to protect her. It was he who hadn't been able to defeat the Espada sooner, so that they never had a chance to hurt her. It was all his fault. He killed her. He imagined what it would have been like to launch the Cero. He could see Grimmjow out of the corner of his eye, and even farther, he saw himself, pathetic, beaten, and weak. He could see himself begging for them not to hurt her, even though he had barely said a thing. Maybe if he could have distracted Ulquiorra long enough, he wouldn't have fired until it was too late, until the Vizards had time to intervene. He saw Grimmjow and himself, but, most of all, he saw Tatsuki. She had been so close to him, he could have seen her tears before she felt them. Ichigo could imagine her face, full of terror and fear for her life. He could see the tears begin to stream down her face. Ichigo held his hand out to the imaginary Tatsuki and watched her fear grow. His hand was so close to where her face was, no more than a foot away. He couldn't help it as he muttered, "Cero," and watched her disappear behind the blast of the attack. Her scream was so much louder and clearer than he had first heard, and it was worse than it really had been.

Ichigo's knees collapsed as he fell to the floor. He found himself sitting just in front of where she had been. He wondered what it felt like, to die by Cero. Was it painful? Did it burn? Or did you feel anything at all? He hoped she didn't feel pain, by that's not what her scream had said. She sounded so painful. Once more, Ichigo broke down. His head drooped, and he watched his hot tears fall where she had sat.

"T-Tatsuki..." he sobbed. "I-I'm so so-sorry!"

As Ichigo wept, he noticed something. The area in front of him became darker, although everywhere else remained the same. He heard footsteps, and looked up. It was his class. Every one of his classmates must have followed him. How he didn't notice... How didn't he notice? Oh, what did it matter. But what would they think as they looked around his house. It was a complete and utter mess. They actually might get close to what actually happened, not like they would be completely accurate, though.

"Ichigo," Orihime began, "what happened in here?"

"Yeah, dude, it looks like you got attacked by a group of samurai," Keigo said, then added, "and one of them had a flamethrower," when he saw the scorch mark on the floor.

Ichigo stood up, not facing them, and said, "Leave," in a cold voice.

"But Ichigo, we're all really worried about you..." Orihime said. She looked around the house. She had been there once before when they were picking up Ichigo to go see a movie. It must look so different to her. "And where's your dad? I thought he ran a home business." Ichigo was almost tempted to look back to the little medical clinic his dad had run for the past seven months or so, but didn't.

"He's gone, too." He knew his dad was probably dead by now. Aizen wouldn't have been happy with his behavior, nor his intentions. Isshin was either dead, dying, or about to be killed. He knew that feeling, and it wasn't a good one.

"Oh, Ichigo," Orihime said, shocked to hear that Ichigo had lost his dad, too. She walked forward, as though to give him some comforting, but he stepped away from her. "Please, Ichigo?" she continued. "Come on, let's get back to-"

"No," he said in a firm voice. He looked at Orihime, then his friends, and the rest of the class. Addressing them all, he said, "You shouldn't have come here. None of you."

"What are talking about, dude?" Keigo interjected. "We were really worried about you, and this is the thanks we get?"

"Keigo, you moron, you don't understand!" Orihime stepped away from Ichigo when he raised his voice. "You don't know what happened! You don't know about what's happened to me before! You don't know about my past! Tatsuki knew, and that's why she's dead! Don't you get it! Just stay away from me!" Damn, he was letting out more information than he should have. He probably should have just kept his mouth shut, but something was compelling him to continue. "There are people after me, and they came here last night! They-"

"Ichigo!" called a voice from the back of the crowd. Damn. The entire class showed up, including four of the ones that saved him last night. Shinji stepped forward, with the other three close behind him. They didn't stray too far from the crowd, but he continued speaking. "You're letting too much out."

"Do you think I care anymore?!" Ichigo yelled. "They should know what happens if they get too close!"

"No, what needs to happen is you shutting your mouth and everyone else getting back to class." Then he stepped closer, and pulled Ichigo aside. Lowering his voice to where no one but Ichigo could hear, Shinji said, "Your old friends are on their way right now. They'll be here in about ten or fifteen minutes. It would be best if the others weren't around if we had to fight."

"I don't care if they come. There won't be a fight. I'll just go-"

"Ichigo, we're not going to let you give up."

"No, Shinji, I've hurt enough people now from my self-preservation. I don't want anyone else to get hurt. I am leaving, I am going to Soul Society, and I am going to die! There is _nothing_ you can do to stop me."

Shinji grabbed Ichigo's shoulders to get his attention better, than added, "What about Yuzu and Karin, huh? What about them? How do you think they would feel if their big brother walked straight to his death? Listen, Ichigo, we are _not_ going to let them take you away!"

"Shinji, just shut up and let go of me! You haven't lived my life, you haven't been hurt like I have, you don't know anything about me. I am going and that's final! Try all you like, but I swear, if you are going to stop me, then you'll have to kill me, which is what'll happen anyway!"

"Ichigo, you don't underst-"

"No, Shinji, you're the one who doesn't understand! They'll never stop coming for me! There's no way I can hide forever, especially from thousands of shinigami. They won't stop coming. They'll find me again and again and again, and I'll just hurt more people that way!"

"Fine, then answer my question from earlier about Yuzu and Karin. What are you going to do about them?"

Ichigo paused for a second. He looked over to the class, and all of them were staring. Some were murmuring about something. Heh, they probably overheard some of the conversation and were asking one another what it all could mean. He saw Orihime watching intently. She looked hurt.

"I'll leave them with Orihime," Ichigo answered quietly. "She's a good person, and she's probably like having someone else living in her apartment. They'll be safe. They didn't do anything wrong, so no one will come looking for them. If I stay here any longer, then I'm just putting them in greater danger."

Shinji was quiet for a while, and Ichigo began to think something else was wrong.

"Shinji, is there something you're not telling me?" Shinji's arms dropped to his side, although he still stared at Ichigo. "Is there another reason you don't want me to leave?"

"If you leave, they will find out about us, and what's happened to us, and everything. Even if you don't tell them directly, they will find ways of finding out. You should know, since you used to be a captain."

Ichigo thought of some, and had to hold back a shiver. There were just some things that he never approved of. "So you want me to stay so you guys won't get found out?"

"Exactly."

"That's stupid, greedy, and self-centered! I've already told you what'll happen if I stay!"

"Ichigo, either way, you'll be putting people in danger."

"You guys were already in danger! You just weren't at the top of the list! They'll get to you anyway!"

"Ichi-"

"No, I've had enough of this! You just have to get away from here!"

"Why?"

"You said they were coming, weren't you? If you're here when they are, well, you know the rest."

Shinji opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. He started to turn back, but added one last thing.

"Get them out of here, and soon."

Ichigo knew he was talking about the class. Shinji, followed by Kensei, Risa, and Mashiro, left the house, although the rest of the class remained in place. Ichigo didn't move for a while, but he soon realized what had to be done.

"Orihime, could you come here for a minute?"

"Uh, sure." The red-head moved swiftly to meet Ichigo. He grabbed one of her shoulders, and started talking very low.

"Orihime, I have something very important to ask you. I have to go away soon, but I can't take my sisters with me. I'm asking you this because I think you would be the best person for the job. Would you please take care of my sisters for me?"

Orihime seemed astonished that he was asking her this. After the shock wore off, she asked, "For how long?"

"Orihime, I don't think I'll come back."

"Why not?"

"Yuzu and Karin can tell you later, but not now and not here. Would you do this for me?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then, do you know where there are a bunch of old abandoned warehouses on the southwest side of town?"

"Um...Yeah!"

"Okay, later today, I want you to go there. Warehouse number twelve. That's where Yuzu and Karin should be. Don't worry about who answers, just tell them that I sent you and you're there to pick up my sisters, okay? And don't tell anyone about that place or who you see there. Never mention it. Ever. Can you do that for me?"

"You can count on me!"

"Thank you, Orihime. I really appreciate it. Really, you have no idea. Listen, if you can't remember where it is or how to get there, ask either Shinji, Kensei, Risa, or Mashiro. Shinji or Mashiro would be the better ones to ask, just saying."

"Why them?"

"You'll find out later. And again, I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem! I'd really like having them around."

"Heh, and that's why I asked you."

Orihime smiled and gave a little laugh. He let her go back to the rest of the group. Ichigo straightened up, and spoke to everyone.

"You guys need to get out of here, and now."

"Why?" Keigo called. "And what were you and Shinji talking about?"

"Keigo, just shut up and get out of here!"

"And what if I don't?"

Ichigo thought of something to say, but thought it would be too harsh. Instead, he just answered, "Just go!"

"I want to know what you guys were talking about! We heard some strange combination of words, and we wanna know what's going on!"

Ichigo sighed and stepped forward. Keigo had a triumphant look on his face. Ichigo stopped right in front of the persistent moron, and looked like he was about to say something, but instead, he drew his fist back and let it fly, landing right into Keigo's right jaw. His scream would have been hilarious, if not for the fact that it didn't look hilarious. Ichigo hadn't broken anything or made him bleed, just inflicted enough pain for him to get a clue. What, did he really think that Ichigo was going to tell him?

"Keigo, take that pain, multiply it a million times, put it all over your body, and that's still not as much as I felt last night, much _much_ less than my entire life. So quit crying about it, get up, and GET OUT OF MY FLIPPIN' HOUSE!"

A good fraction of the class started to run back to school, some walked, although Ichigo's friends still didn't move. Were they waiting for Keigo to pull himself together, or were they not leaving at all? It was the latter, because even after Keigo had stood up, they still hadn't left.

"Why aren't you guys gone?" He counted how many there were. Keigo, Orihime, Mizuro, Chizuru, Michiru, and Chad. Six. Six lives were in danger right now. How long had it been since Shinji warned Ichigo? Five minutes, give or take. That meant at least another five to get these guys out of here.

"We've said it once, so we'll say it again, we're really worried about you, Ichigo."

"Ugh!" Ichigo groaned. "Why me?"

"Why you what?"

"Why do I have to put up with your stubbornness right now, at possibly the worst time ever? That's why?"

"Why is this the worst time?"

Do they never stop with the questions?

"I didn't want to say this in front of everyone else, but if it's the only way to get you guys to leave... I guess I have to."

"Dude, just out with it!"

"Fine, but you can't tell anybody! Not even amongst yourselves! No writing in diaries, blogs, make weird stories based around it, nothing."

"Got it!"

"I'm-"

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

No, please, no, no, no, no, no, _please_ don't let that be-

"Hey, it's Toshiro!" Keigo exclaimed.

Crap.

**A/N: Oh noez, bad timing! What's Ichigo going to do now? Things just aren't going good for him, are they? Hope y'all come back for the next chapter!**

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	22. Life

"Ichigo Kurosaki," a familiar voice called, materializing his worst fears.

"Hey, it's Toshiro," Keigo called. He was obviously oblivious to the danger at hand, unlike his other friends.

Ichigo turned toward the voice that had called his name. Sure enough, it was Toshiro Hitsugaya. His face was, as always, stern, and he had his hand on the hilt of Hyourinmaru, which was still sheathed across his back. Of course, Rukia and Renji were also with him, but they were joined by four others. Two were captains, Shunsui Kyoraku of Squad Eight, and Jushiro Ukitake of Squad Thirteen. Also with them were the two shinigami that were always competing to show their loyalty to Ukitake, although Ichigo never could remember their names (they were always bickering too loudly for him to hear right).

Looking back to Keigo and the others, Ichigo said, "Look, you guys need to leave now!"

"Yeah, bu-"

"LEAVE!"

Without another word, Ichigo watched as his friends walked away from him slowly, looking back every few seconds. At least he got them to leave.

"Ichigo," Shunsui said, "I know we're supposed to arrest you and such, but I have to say..." he paused as he looked around the disaster area, "I am curious as to what happened here."

"I agree," Jushiro said, nodding. "It looks like a battle took place here."

"That's exactly what happened," Ichigo answered. What did it matter if they knew? All of them, except Toshiro, gave him a confused look. "You guys aren't the only ones after me."

"What do you mean?" Jushiro asked.

"I'll tell you on the way back." Slowly, Ichigo walked toward them. He stopped just in front of Toshiro, who kept his eyes on Ichigo the whole time.

"What? You're coming back with us, just like that?" he questioned, wary of Ichigo's strange behavior. "Last time, you went all out fighting us."

"Last time, I had something to live for." Ichigo looked back to burn mark on the floor of his living room, the scream tearing at his ears once more. Once again, tears began to fill his eyes. He missed her so much...

"What?"

"Let's just go..."

The world was so dark. Looking around for some sort of life, she searched endlessly. Where was she? What brought her here? She remembered a fight, and she was beating someone from behind, and he hit her back. Who was that she was hitting, anyway?

Suddenly, the darkness vanished, leaving only pure light. There was one place where the light shone brighter than anywhere else. Compelled, she rushed to it. Within seconds, she could see someone's face. It was a woman. Her hair was dark, almost black, with kind, green, almond-shaped eyes. Her smile was brighter than her eyes. She smiled at her, as if welcoming her somewhere. But where?

"Hi, there!" she said. Her voice was like wind chimes in a light spring breeze. "I'm Kishi."

"Um, hi," she said, "I'm Tatsuki."

**A/N: I know, short, right, but this is like an introduction chapter. Anyway, from now on, the story will shift view points between Ichigo and Tatsuki. **

**PS, Kishi means "life" pretty much, so yeah, I just threw that in there...Rock on!**

"**Darkness does not always equate to evil, just as light does not always bring good." [That is so not mine. I got it from a book. "House of Night" series... it rocks!]**


	23. Soul Society

Tatsuki looked around the run-down shack. There wasn't anything to it really. There was a mat for bed, which she inhabited for the moment, a old box that had a gas lantern on it, and that was really it, except for ground debris, such as twigs or leaves that had managed to find their way in through the doorway, which was covered with a sheet.

"Um," she said, looking to the person next to her, "where am I exactly?"

With a smile, Kishi answered, "Soul Society."

Soul Society. That sounded familiar to Tatsuki. She knew she had heard it before, but from where? Someone told her about it, but who? She came close to seeing the face who told her, but just when she was getting it, it vanished.

Kishi laughed. "I can see you don't understand. It's not a problem, though. Really, it isn't. You see, Soul Society is where souls that had passed from the Living World go."

"Uh, okay..." Tatsuki still thought that she had heard this before. Outside, there were men shouting and dozens of pairs of feet running, first towards the little shack, then right past it. "What's going on outside?"

Kishi was also confused about what was happening outside. Getting up from her spot beside Tatsuki, she walked to the doorway and pulled back the sheet. "They caught him," she said, more to herself than Tatsuki.

"Caught who?"

"A runaway captain."

"Captain?"

"Oh, they're like heads of the shinigami, which is like our police and protection force. This one was sentenced to execution, but he escaped before he even got to his cell, and no one knows how he did it, either! His name's Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Ichigo?" Tatsuki whispered. At the sound of his name, she suddenly remembered. He was the one who first told her about Soul Society. Now, she remembered everything about him and herself. She got up and walked over next to Kishi. She saw a bunch of guards dressed in old Japanese clothes. She even recognized three of them as Toshiro, Renji, and Rukia. They were followed by four others, and dozens of other guards surrounded them. But through the crowd, she could see a familiar head of orange hair. She saw Ichigo, although he didn't look up to see her. Did he even know she was there? Probably not, or else he would've been searching for her high and low. He hung his head, not in shame, but of un-interest. He walked with the others, being led through a run-down town. Tatsuki looked down their direction and saw some really big white towers in the distance.

"Where are they going?"

"Seireitei. It's where the shinigami live, pretty much. I wanna live there, too, actually." At that last part, Kishi looked down, and for once actually looked sad.

"Why? Do you want to become a shinigami, or something?"

"Yeah, I do, with all my heart!"

"Why?"

"I had a really good friend once. She looked a lot like you, actually, except her hair was way longer. She was like my sister, and her name was Rei. One day, we were just out, and we got attacked by a Hollow. Those are the things that the shinigami protect us and the humans from. Rei died because of that. Since then, I wanted to protect others from the Hollows, so that's why I want to be a shinigami. Although..."

"Although what?" Tatsuki asked as the "parade" passed her, keeping her eyes on the orange head.

"To become one, you have to go through the Academy. I really want to get accepted, but, as you can see, we're literally living in the dumps. It's really hard to get in if you come from here."

"Has anyone ever done it before?"

"Yeah. The only ones I know that have done it are Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki. Almost everyone around here knows about them. They have an...interesting past, but somehow, they made it in."

Tatsuki didn't say anything as she watched Ichigo walk away from her, only to disappear behind buildings after they turned a corner. Once the entire guard was out of sight, she looked to her new friend.

"I wanna go, too."

Kishi's eyes brightened at her words. "Really? Are you sure? It's not easy being a shinigami, you know."

"I know, but I think it would be a... a good way to live, don't you?" Okay, so she has an ulterior motive, so what?

"Alright! Now the only problem is acceptance."

"What do they look for most in a shinigami?"

"Probably skill, hard work, dedication, you know, those kinds of things."

"Well, let's go show them our dedication."

"Uh... What?"

"Where's the Academy?"

"On the other side of Rukongai."

"Rukon-what?"

"The living districts outside of Seireitei."

"Oh, okay then. Well, let's go!"

Without giving it a second thought, Tatsuki walked out of the rundown shack, marching toward the "other side of Rukongai." It was an Academy, for crying out loud, it couldn't be that hard to come by. From behind her, Tatsuki could hear Kishi call after her.

"Wait up, Tatsuki!"

"Maybe you should just walk faster!" she replied, not even turning her head back. In less a few seconds, though, a blur of dark hair passed her, and a cold breeze followed several seconds later. "Do what?" Looking down the road was Kishi, running as fast as she could. "Not fair!" Tatsuki called after her.

"Maybe you should walk faster!" Kishi called with a laugh as she rounded the corner.

"Oh, she is not getting away that easily," Tatsuki said to herself. With a preparatory deep breath, Tatsuki took after her, catching up in just a few minutes.

"Wow, Tatsuki," Kishi said, interrupting her steady breathing. "You're pretty fast."

"You are, too!"

__________________________________________________________________________________

"_This_ is the Academy?!" Tatsuki said as she caught her breath. "It's huge!"

"What else would an Academy look like? That shack we just left? I think not."

"You're a dork, you know that?"

"Extremely. So what are we gonna do now?"

"What else? Go in there and demand enrollment!"

"Uh, I'm not sure if that's a good idea..." Kishi took a step back from the school grounds.

Tatsuki sighed. What was with this girl? She's all talk, but no bite. "Do you want to be a shinigami?"

"...Yes." Now they were getting somewhere.

"Do you want to protect people?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to get into this school?"

"Yes!"

"Then we go in there right now!"

"Okay!" Dang, was she easy to convince.

The two entered the school grounds, and what a campus! Although it was late fall-early winter, it was still beautiful. The trees were all golden, red, and brown, and a few leaves dotted the earth, but not too much to where it was like a horror movie with the dead rolling leaves just outside of the haunted school. Okay, sure, there was no one around, probably they were all in class, but did it look haunted? No. In fact, it was almost the almost. It seemed so inviting.

"Will you look at this place!" Kishi said from behind Tatsuki.

"I already am. It's beautiful." What she spoke was really how she felt. That was just something Tatsuki did. She didn't like lies, although she did tell them sometimes. She could tell that she would have to lie a lot soon. Really, she couldn't go around saying she knew Ichigo Kurosaki because they dated when she was alive. Yeah, no, that was so not happening. Plus, they hadn't really dated. The only thing close was that he invited her to dinner, and, well, that didn't end too good.

"What are you doing here?" a voice asked from behind them, breaking Tatsuki's train of thought. She turned on her heel, like Kishi, who seemed a little intimidated. Tatsuki studied the person who was before them. He had pale blonde hair that was slicked back with a straight piece hanging over his left eye. His eyes showed he was kind of bored, but also curious. How could they look like that at the same time? He was pretty tall, and he has a sword by his waist, which his left hand rested on. On his left upper arm was an official looking badge.

"Who's that?" Tatsuki whispered to Kishi.

"That's Izuru Kira. He's the lieutenant of the third squad. I wonder what he's do-"

"I asked what are you here?" Izuru repeated. "And I expect to be answered."

"Please, sir, we just wish for admittance to this Academy," Tatsuki answered. She thought adding sir in there would put him in a good mood. She didn't feel it would be good to make enemies with someone high-ranking.

"You two? You want to be shinigami?" He paused for a moment, leaving Kishi and Tatsuki to wallow in the silence. "What are your names?" he asked after several moments.

"Tatsuki Arisawa."

"Kishi Tsukoyo."

"Why do you want to be shinigami?"

"We want to protect," the pair answered together. _Whoa, that was weird_, Tatsuki thought.

"Hm..." Seriously, what was he after? If he wanted to say something, why didn't he say anything already? "And where did you come from?" he questioned.

Tatsuki let Kishi answer this one. "The seventy-ninth district of Rukongai."

"Hm," he said...again. This guy was really starting to weird Tatsuki out. Was he really a lieutenant?

He gave one last question. "Would you work as hard as you possibly could if you were admitted?"

"Of course!"

"Yes!"

To Tatsuki, this was really getting weird. It seemed like some old movie where the two heroines get questioned about their dedication, then a higher-up helps them achieve their goals, and... hey wait, maybe that's what was going on here... Hm.

"Well, then. I was just on my way to the administration office. It would seem that you were on your way there as well. May I accompany you?" Dang, was he polite. He even nodded slightly. Why not return his manners?

"We would be honored," Tatsuki said, bowing a little, as Kishi did the same. They shared a look between them, and Tatsuki could almost see the atmosphere of curiosity coming from her new friend as they joined Lieutenant Izuru.

The inside of the school was great. It was really old, but it was so polished, it looked almost new. It had a few decorations around the halls, but not too many. Izuru lead them through a door that opened up to a few desks with scattered papers and other such office things that one would find a century or two ago. There were two secretaries present, both looking so similar to the other. They had light brown hair with deep eyes, and were short and stout. The one closest to the door hopped on her feet the second they entered the room.

"Lieutenant Kira!" the lady chirped. She held several pieces of paper in her hand, which she extended to him. "Here's the list of new graduates you asked for." Oh, so he must have been looking for new recruits.

"Thank you," Izuru said kindly. "I was wondering if you could do me a favor, Miss. These two ladies with me wish to enter this school. Do you think you could help them?" Uh, does someone want to explain to Tatsuki why he was helping them like this?

The secretary looked up and down Tatsuki and Kishi for a few seconds, then politely nodded her head to the lieutenant.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'll be seeing you later." Izuru began to walk to the door, then paused briefly as he passed the girls. Whispering to where only they could hear, "And I hope I get to be seeing you two in the Squads," he said hopefully. He was out the door in another two seconds. He seemed kind of weird to Tatsuki.

"Ladies," the other secretary began, "if you could come this way, please?"

Kishi looked to Tatsuki with an excited and grateful look, and rushed after the secretary who directed them to a little room in the corner. Tatsuki followed, just not as excitedly. One word resonated in her head.

_Ichigo._

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**A/N: Alright. Y'all enjoy that. Can I get some reviews, please? Thank you so very much for reading this far, and I hope you continue to in future! ;D**


	24. Central 46

"How cool is this?" Kishi asked excitedly as she examined the classroom. The room was filled with students that seemed to fit in so well. It was the first class of the day, Kido, and Tatsuki was so grateful that she had this class with Kishi. How she would have survived without her...

"Yeah, it is pretty cool," she agreed, forcing a smile. To be honest, Tatsuki wasn't in much of a talkative mood. Still, her mind was focused on one thing, her goal.

_Ichigo._

"Hey, Kishi."

"Yeah?" she replied, still in awe of their fortunate situation.

"How long does it take to graduate?"

"A year or two. Why?"

_A year? You've got to be kidding me! _

"Is it possible for someone to graduate sooner?"

"Um, yeah, but you have to be total genius to do that. What's with the questions? It's not like you have deadline, right?"

"...Uh, no, it's not like that. I'm just not a school person, I guess."

Turning her head away from the class, Kishi smiled at Tatsuki. "Hey, thanks."

"Um, you're welcome?"

"For getting me in here! I didn't think it was possible to literally walk in off the streets and enroll, you know?"

"Hey, it's not 'cause of me. That lieutenant was the one that got us in. I'm just wondering... Why _did_ he help?"

Kishi shrugged as class was called to attention. Her words echoing in her head, Tatsuki paid extra attention in class. She wanted to be out of here in a month, sooner if possible. She had to do something, but what exactly it was...

_Eh, I'll figure that out later. First things first: graduate!_

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Ichigo walked into Seireitei, guarded by the many shinigami that had come to greet him and the others once they had arrived from the World of the Living. On the way back, he told Toshiro and the others his entire story, every last detail. He wondered if they believed him, but then again, it's not like their believing would change his situation. Once the Central 46 decided something, there was no changing it unless they themselves overruled it. They were going to kill him.

Would they do it immediately, since the date had passed already? Or would they postpone it for yet another month since he hadn't spent the time in their custody? Ichigo, for the first time since they entered Soul Society, lifted his head to look around his old home. He saw the tower he had been at when Ulquiorra took him to Hueco Mundo. They still hadn't fixed it yet. Why? Oh, well.

Suddenly, Toshiro stopped the group. He motioned for Shunsui, and muttered something that was inaudible to Ichigo, then the taller captain vanished. Where did Toshiro send him?

They continued walking until they came to a building that Ichigo recognized. It was the Central 46 Chambers. Dismissing the rest of the guard, Ichigo, Toshiro, and Jushiro entered the building. A chill of nostalgia wove its way down Ichigo's spine. It didn't seem that long ago since he had last passed through this hallway, even though any calendar would tell him it had been months. The memory of his sentencing was too vivid, and he winced. At his unexpected movement, Jushiro and Toshiro both eyed Ichigo warily.

"Sorry," Ichigo muttered as he realized that this was not only the first time that he spoke since he had been here, but also the first time that the others had looked him in the eye. How long had been here? A few hours, maybe? It _had _been a long walk through Rukongai. To think it had been that tense...

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

Turning his head in the direction of the voice that had called his name, Ichigo met a familiar face.

"Hello, Captain-Commander." Yes, it was Yamamoto. Ichigo still held a grudge against him for sending his friends to arrest him in the World of the Living. Really, was that just a cruel, sick joke?

As usual, the old man said nothing. Instead, he examined Ichigo from head to foot. "Shunsui told me of what's happened to you these past months. It's saddening that a Captain has had to go though such events..." he paused, as though he was about to say something else, but held it back. "If you would please excuse me, I have business to attend to." Then, without another word, the ancient shinigami passed them to enter the Central's chamber.

How odd. The Captain-Commander never mentioned anything as being sad. Really, what was going on here? Ichigo stood still, as did the other two. Apparently, Yamamoto had to speak to the court about something before Ichigo could enter. What was it? Probably relaying the information he had heard from Shunsui. Finally feeling the exhaustion from their long walk, Ichigo leaned against a wall, trying to let his feet relax a little. Toshiro and Jushiro took either side of him.

The hall was quiet as they waited for the meeting to cease. Ichigo wondered how the others were holding up. Not much time had passed, and they should all still be in school. He wondered how Yuzu and Karin would react when Orihime went to pick them up at warehouse, and how they would take the news of his leaving. He knew he was hurting them, but they would be hurt so much more if he had stayed. Then his thoughts drifted to his father. What had Aizen done to his father? Was Isshin already dead, or were the Arrancar being as evil as they were made out to be? Surely the latter, since his leaving proved that he still had his memories, and therefore, he was a threat. Turning against them, or even plotting to do so was not taken lightly in Hueco Mundo.

"Ichigo!" someone yelled.

"Hm?"

"I asked you a question," Jushiro said. It was he who had called his name.

"I'm sorry, what was it?"

"I asked... Oh, never mind. It wasn't that important, anyway," he said quickly, then turned away.

And then the silence grew heavier.

"Ukitake," Ichigo said, breaking the quiet, "how are you doing? You weren't in the best of shape the last time I saw you."

"Oh," he said, surprised. Apparently, Ichigo asking about his well-being seemed to be the last thing he would have said. "Actually, I've been doing well recently. Thanks." Not really one for conversations now, was he?

Trying to keep the silence at bay, Ichigo muttered, "You know, I've actually missed you guys."

Silence came again, but not the one as before. This one wasn't as awkward. Actually, it sort of... friendly.

"We've missed you, too." This time, it was Toshiro who spoke. Ichigo turned to face him. He hadn't expected him to say anything under these circumstances, but yet he did, and it was something that was actually nice. Ichigo smiled. It was like the old Toshiro had appeared just then, someone Ichigo hadn't seen in a long time.

The door to the courtroom opened, and the trio entered. It was as dark as Ichigo remembered it. The faces of its members were covered, as always, and a sense helplessness overcame Ichigo.

He shivered.

Ichigo looked to the head of the Central, waiting for him to speak. Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo noticed that the Captain-Commander was standing in the corner, faced towards Ichigo, though his eyes were, as always, close. Ichigo heard the door behind him shut loudly.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," the head said. The way he said Ichigo's name was different from the last time, not filled with hate or disgust, but just calmly, as though addressing him in any ordinary conversation.

The Central 46 member began to tell Ichigo of what was to happen to him, and as he elaborated, Ichigo's mouth dropped from disbelief.

_Do what?_

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**A/N: Haha, left yah hangin'! Anywayz, I hope you guys come back for more. It might be a while before I get the next chapter posted, cuz I'm working on something that is taking #1 priority in the life of moi, so yah. See y'all next time, and please review! I wanna hear what you guys think is gonna happen next, kay?**

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha ;D**


	25. Observation

**A/N: Okay, I know you guys wanted to see what happens to Ichigo, but you're just going to have to wait! [Muhaha, I am so evil!] I know exactly where it is, but I'm not telling you where I put it! [again, I am _so_ evil!] Don't worry though, it'll be here soon!**

**PS, I'm also having extreme writer's block, so forgive me if it takes forever for me to update! **

**( [sad face] So yeah, thanks for coming back, and I hope you enjoy!**

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"Ow..." Tatsuki groaned as she leaned against the wall. Was it possible for every part of her body to ache? That's how it felt right now. Combat class just seemed to be getting worse and worse, and that wooden sword heavier and heavier with each passing day. How did Ichigo do this when he went through? Then again, he had a captain for a father.

"Lucky idiot," she whispered through a smile.

"Who's a lucky idiot?"

The sudden voice startled Tatsuki, almost making her fall to the ground. She looked to her right, where the voice had originated from.

"Um, can I help you?" she asked.

"Actually, yes. I do believed I asked you a question. Who's a lucky idiot?" Tatsuki had seen this person before around the building. She didn't have any classes with him, but she recognized his face. He seemed to always be surrounded by people, like he was one of the in-crowd. No, like he _was_ the in-crowd.

"Uh, me," Tatsuki lied. "I still can't believe I got here."

"Hm." Although she had answered his question, Mr. Popular continued to linger.

"Uh, is there something else I can help you with? Cuz if not, I have another class to get to."

"Oh, no. I'll see you around, Tatsuki." With that, he walked off nonchalantly.

_Okay, that was weird._ Starting to walk down the hall in the opposite direction of the unknown person, something struck her. _How'd he know my name? I'm pretty sure I didn't tell him..._ Tatsuki continued to ponder this as she walked into her next class, almost running over Kishi as she walked in the room.

"Oh, hey, Tatsuki!" she greeted with as much energy as ever. "How was Combat class?"

"Painful. How else do you think it would go?"

"Um... Combat-y?" she guessed, lifting her shoulders.

"Heh, no."

At that moments, the professor entered the room, closing the door behind him, indicating that class began. Surprisingly, the Academy held a Soul Society History class, telling mostly about the founding of the Gotei and how they have grown to become the force it is today. Pretty boring, in Tatsuki's opinion. Kishi, however, _loved_ the subject, whether it was she was a history geek or that she found the teacher insanely attractive, as she had mentioned to Tatsuki earlier that day, though Tatsuki just could _not_ see it.

Class had been in session for five minutes when the door slid open quickly. In the doorway stood Mr. Popular. Was he even in this class?

"Good of you to join us, Mr. Tsukoyo." Apparently, he was.

"Wait," Tatsuki whispered to Kishi, "Tsukoyo?"

"No relation," the friend whispered back, continuing to gaze at the "attractive" teacher, who happened to have a booger hanging out his nose. Charming.

Mr. Popular grinned sheepishly and made his way to a seat in the front of the class, across the room from Tatsuki and Kishi. Class continued in a boring way as the teacher explained the designing of the Squads and requirements for the positions, but Tatsuki kept peeking at the unknown student. He had known Tatsuki's name when she never introduced herself. Now that she thought about it, he seemed to have appeared out of nowhere when they were in the hall, which was slightly freaky. He was just oozing mystery. She could almost see the word form above his head in big red letters like an advertisement. Did it make a difference if they red, though? Hm...

Class ended, and lucky them, it was time for lunch. Neither of them were too hungry, so Tatsuki and Kishi took this time to explore the beautiful campus. It really was amazing. Just amazing. At least that's what Tatsuki thought. Kishi thought it was beautiful, but she didn't admire it near as much as Tatsuki. The two walked around the campus, spotting different little sights and chatting. Tatsuki told Kishi of the encounter she had with the popular guy in the hallway, even the part of him knowing her name.

"What do you think that could mean?" Kishi thought aloud.

"I don't know," Tatsuki replied.

"Hello, ladies," a voice said from behind them. The duo turned and amazingly, the mysterious classmate from before stood in front of them.

"Can we help you?" Kishi asked, intrigued by the student.

"You can't, but I was wishing that Tatsuki could join me for lunch." Turning his attention from Kishi to Tatsuki, he continued, "What do you say?"

Tatsuki looked to her friend, who was curiously eying Mr. Popular, who was waiting eagerly for her answer, said, "I'm sorry, but I already have friends. Maybe some other time." The vibe he was sending just wasn't right. Tatsuki began to turn, but the guy was persistent.

"How about tomorrow?" he called.

Not bothering to answer, Tatsuki grabbed Kishi's arm and the two began to walk away from him.

"I'll see you tomorrow then!" he called after they had walked a few feet from him.

What the heck? He didn't seriously think that Tatsuki was going to go with him, did he? Turning around (again), Tatsuki walked up to him.

"What do you want?" she asked irritatedly.

"Can't I ask you to lunch?" he responded innocently.

"What's your name, anyway?"

"Masaya Tsukoyo."

"Well, Masaya, why do you want me to have lunch with so badly?"

"'Cuz you're pretty."

Tatsuki heard Kishi gasp behind her. Did he really just say what she thought he said?

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Ichigo stood in the Central 46 courtroom, his ears in disbelief. Did they just say what he thought they said?

"Until you're condition with the enemy Hollow be deemed either dangerous or safe, you will be placed under the care and study of Captain Mayori Kurotsuchi of the Twelfth Division. The Court will help supply him with all materials needed for his observations. There will be no time limit." The court official paused.

"Dismissed!"

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**A/N: Uh oh, Ichigo gets stuck with the crazy psycho scientist dude! What will the deranged captain do to our beloved Ichigo? And what of Tatsuki and Masaya? Did he really just call Tatsuki 'pretty'?! How will she react? What will Kishi think? Does this dude have any motives? Hm....**

**I'll let y'all think about that, and tell me what you think! If you don't, I won't post the next chapter! Mwuhahahaha! But seriously, dude, I want some reviews. **

**[PS, I'm having writer's block, like big time, so if y'all have an idea for something to add to this...]**

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha ;D**


	26. Tool At Hand?

**A/N: Okay, thank you all for those marvelous reviews! Also, thanks xSTALKERx for those ideas for the future storyline. I think I'll use some, but not all. Anyway, from now on, I'm going to try and make the chapters longer, so wish me luck! Also, I found a fan fiction that is _really_ good. I don't know if any of you have found it already, but it's called Torn by jazzpha, so go out and find it! It's a Ichi/Ruki, and like, Ichigo goes with Aizen when they're on Sokyoku Hill, and all that stuff, and it's really cool! So [after you read this one] go check it out, kay?**

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The corridors of the research belonging to the Twelfth Division were dark, only lit by small lights that dotted the floor at long intervals. The doors were lined with the same type of fluorescent lighting, clearing marking the nearest entrance. Ichigo followed quietly as Captain Kurotsuchi led him to his new quarters. What had the deranged captain arranged for him? Chills went down Ichigo's spine as he attempted to imagine the room, and immediately ceased all thought of the subject. As they passed the different rooms, he could hear strange sounds coming from each. Not even wanting to guess, Ichigo quickened his pace slightly. That is, until he realized that Kurotsuchi had stopped.

"Here we are," the Captain announced as he presented the doorway. It was no different than any of the others they had passed except for the number. Each room had a number, and ironically enough, the number of the room Ichigo would belong to was 00-0015. Easy enough to remember, right?

Opening the door to his new chambers, Ichigo cringed. Large, unknown machines lined the walls, and they made strange beeping sounds, as though it was giving the pulse rate of someone having a heart attack. A cabinet holding only-Mayori-knows-what was placed just inside the door to the left. A lone window was flat and wide, covering only a small portion at the top of the wall opposite the door, allowing a stray ray of sunlight to cover the floor below. The only normal thing in the room was the bed, although it could barely be called normal. It was rickety, and seemed as though it would fall apart if the smallest children's book were to be gently placed atop it. Sturdy.

"As I assume you have already assumed, this is where you shall be staying," Kurotsuchi stated, looking at Ichigo as insanely as ever. "I hope you make yourself at home, for you will rarely be allowed to leave this room. I will conduct most of the tests here, as indicated by the numerous equipment I have already stored, although there will be sometimes where we will have to go elsewhere." The captain stepped forward and flipped a switch that Ichigo had failed to notice before. A single light bulb flickered on, casting a dim light across the room. It didn't help to lighten the mood. "We will bring you food and drink three times a day, and if you wish, we may also provide books and other such things." Kurotsuchi examined the room once more, his eyed filled with a child like wonder, then faced Ichigo. "I, unfortunately, have other things to tend to. If all goes well, I will hoping to get started tomorrow. Until then, Ichigo." With that, the scientist stepped out of the room, pushed Ichigo in, and slammed the door.

"Crazy..." Ichigo muttered as the door closed rather loudly, echoing off the bare walls of the room. This was where he was supposed to stay? Scanning his memory, Ichigo failed to find a mission where he had been under worse conditions. He hated to admit it, but this was going to be hell. Him, at the mercy of Mayori Kurotsuchi? Hell. Pure hell.

Walking to the other side of the room, Ichigo sat on the rickety bed, which, to his surprise, did not break. Leaning back, Ichigo placed his head against the wall and closed his eyes.

_I wonder how Karin and Yuzu are doing back home..._ he thought, trying to imagine his little sisters living happily with Orihime. What about the Vizards? There were probably wondering the same about Ichigo and their current situation with Soul Society. Isshin? Dead, for all Ichigo knew. What about the rest of class? They just learned of the death of one of their classmates, and now the other one has gone missing. Would Orihime tell them, or would she do as she said and not tell anyone? Had the Vizards even told her what was happening? Did Karin and Yuzu say anything? Already, a tight knot was forming in his stomach.

_What have I done?_ His mind was clearer now, and as Ichigo looked back, he could see all he had left behind. He saw his mistakes, all of them. He saw his options now, when he thought there were none at the time. And he saw he could have done.

"No," he said aloud, jumping at how loud his voice seemed once it broke through the silence of the room. "I can't think like that..." Readjusting himself, Ichigo laid across the bed as he waited for the crazy captain to return...

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It was taking all of Tatsuki's strength not to run out of the door.

It was dark, small remnants of the sun's light still traced the bottom of clouds in the sky. The Academy was done for the day, and Kishi had gone off to her new dorm that the school had provided for her and Tatsuki. Tatsuki, though, was somewhere else.

_Stupid Masaya..._ she thought as she looked at the boy before her. This was the first chance she had to really study him. His black hair was short, falling no farther than the tip of his ears. He was tall, too, with broad shoulders. Though his back was turned to her, she could remember bright blue eyes that pierced hers with the great determination that had forced her to come with him in the first place. It was too embarrassing for her to admit that he had actually managed to get her to come with him.

_Where are we going anyway?_ Tatsuki thought as she surveyed the area. Everything seemed so upper-class, even a little snooty. Just what kind of place did Masaya have in mind when he begged her to dinner?

As though he could sense Tatsuki's growing apprehension, Masaya slowed, turned, as if making sure Tatsuki was still behind him, smiled, and said, "We're here." He raised his arm, attempting to show off the large manor they were stopped before.

It was large, that was for sure, as Tatsuki looked up and down the street. The building took up at least seventy percent of the block._ At least._ It had tall white walls, close to eight feet, encompassing the perimeter. Large red doors with intricate golden swirls were the only entrance in sight, leading to what Tatsuki assumed was a gorgeous garden. She stepped back a ways to try see over the wall, but all she could make out were rooftops, the same color and design as the door.

"What is this place?" Tatsuki asked, jumping a little, still attempting to see over the wall.

"My home, which you are welcome to at any time," Masaya replied with a subtly confident grin.

"You live here?" she asked, awed. She couldn't help it, the place was huge.

"Yeah, not just me, but my father and grandparents, too. There's also some extended family, and some of Dad's co-workers are always over, as well. We also have live-in servants." Masaya crossed his arms, self-impressed of his home. He paused, like he was admiring some great work of his, then sighed, uncrossing his arms. His head turned to Tatsuki as he walked forward.

"Shall we?" Extending a hand forward, he grasped a large golden knocker in the shape of a lion's head, and knocked three times, slowly. The doors creaked open, then revealed the garden that Tatsuki had imagined, except grander.

The grass was the greenest green she had ever seen, and it was low, the surrounding air smelling as though it had been cut recently. Hedges, as tacky as it was, were clipped into the shapes of some of the most vicious animals in existence, instead of the stereotypical elephant. No, these were lions, tigers, dragons, cougars, anything that was large and lethal. But the detail...the detail on these were incredible. Whoever worked on them had magnificent skill. Tatsuki marveled as she could clearly make out each of the lion's teeth. It's mouth was open, and its head faced the sky. As a breeze swept by, shaking the leaves, it looked and sounded as though the lion was giving an immense roar.

"Who did these?" Tatsuki asked, still studying the green animals.

"It's just something my father and I do in our spare time. Occasionally others help out, but its usually just the two of us."

"Well, they're incredible. I'm really liking the lion here."

"Really? I'd have to say my favorite is the elephant."

As Masaya pointed farther back the garden, Tatsuki chuckled. Even the most amazing of gardens still had a hedge-elephant. Although, this one _was _pretty well done. It stood on its back legs, the front two kicking in the air. Its mouth was open and its trunk reached into the sky. Just like the others, the remarkable detail on it was nothing to laugh at.

The two walked forward, and Tatsuki saw that the garden was lined with bushes of ruby-red roses. The colors of the garden were truly something to behold. The sidewalk she stepped on was made of a diamond-like substance. Even the sky seemed bluer while hovering over the green masterpieces.

"I can't believe you live here," Tatsuki stated, still beholding the area.

"Eh, just wait till you see the inside." The classmate walked forward, up a red and gold step, in front of a set of doors similar to that of the gate, only more elegant.

Masaya was right.

The inside of the house was beautiful. Large squares of marble, white and black, were placed in an alternating arrangement. There were two wide doorways to either side, and straight forward was a red and gold spiral staircase, which disappeared into the nine-foot high ceiling. An in-table sat to the side of the doorway, and a mat was opposite it; Tatsuki assumed it was a place to leave their shoes, which Masaya proved when he slipped off his shoes, arranging them neatly on the mat. She did the same, then continued to look around. The walls were, of course, red, and at the top and bottom borders were more swirls of gold. There were even a few occasional pieces of art hanging. The entry hall was lit by a chandelier, and as Tatsuki watched longer, the candles were real, not like the fake ones she remembered seeing back when... _back when I was alive,_ she thought, though it was hard for her to. Ignoring the thought, she examined the chandelier longer. There were four layers, the largest on top, and the others getting smaller and smaller. Small slender crystals hung in it, the prisms casting small rainbows across the room.

"What did I tell you?" Masaya said.

"It's amazing," Tatsuki answered. "I still can't believe you live here." She took a few steps into the room.

"Are you ready for dinner?" he asked, pointing to the doorway on the left. As if his point was a signal, the aroma of freshly prepared food drifted Tatsuki's way. What was that? Turkey, maybe? And mashed potatoes? _It must be a Western dinner,_ Tatsuki thought, remembering some of the meals she had seen on TV and fancy Western restaurants. _Do they even have Western food in the Soul Society? _ Whatever the answer, it didn't matter, for her mouth watered at the thought. Nodding her head, Tatsuki began to walk towards the dining room.

It was just as extravagantly designed as the rest of the house. The table, the silverware, everything was just as red and gold as before. Laying up and down the table was the food Tatsuki had smelt in the hallway, just as skillfully prepared as she had imagined.

A small group, two men, walked into the room from another side as Tatsuki and Masaya entered. The first man was tall and strong, with a dark mass of hair upon his head. His face was wise and cautious, with a demeanor of the highest status. However, the same could not be said for the man behind him. Dressed in a captain's haori, the man had strange white and black makeup covering his face, with strange headgear atop his head, which look it had been windblown. He seemed to say what he thought, and what he thought had no limits, this much could be told just by the mere appearance of the man.

"Father," Masaya greeted, bowing to the first man. Tatsuki followed his lead and bowed.

"Good evening," the father greeted politely, returning the bow slightly. "Might I ask who your friend is?" he asked, nodding in Tatsuki's direction.

"This is Tatsuki. She's in the Academy with me."

"Nice to meet you, sir," she greeted.

"Please, the pleasure is mine," Masaya's father said. "I, too, have a guest to introduce." He looked to the man behind him and said, "This is my captain, Captain Kurotsuchi of the Twelfth Squad."

Kurotsuchi raised one hand. "Hi."

"It's an honor to meet you, Captain," Tatsuki said.

"Please, please," the captain began, "manners are merely a formality. No need to waste your time on such things."

Tatsuki looked to Masaya with a skeptical look. _Is this guy really a captain?_ she thought, thinking of the demeanor of Ichigo and Hitsugaya. This one was so different in the first five seconds already.

"Well," Masaya's father said, cutting the brief silence, "it seems the food is prepared. Shall we eat?"

A quick word of agreement, and the party was seated at the dinner table.

The meal began quickly, and little conversation was given. Masaya, on her right, would make little comments about the food or of classes, but not much else was said. However, several times could Tatsuki catch snatches of the conversation Masaya's father and Captain Kurotsuchi were having.

"...there...problems?"

"No, but...thought...he would...especially including his...the equation...Kurosaki."

_Kurosaki..._ Tatsuki hesitated for an instant. They had to be talking of Ichigo, didn't they? If not, then who else? Catching herself quickly, she continued as if she hadn't heard anything, though attempted to hear the full story.

"And he hasn't been showing any resistance at all?"

"No, not at all. Really, with all your questions. Can't you invite your Captain over just for the heck of it, instead of turning it to a meeting with delicious food?"

"I apologize, Captain. It's simply that I have never known Captain Kurosaki to go down without a fight. But I suppose none of imagined he would have escaped to Hueco Mundo with the Arrancar, either."

"Tatsuki?" Masaya said.

"Hm, what?"

"Did you hear me?" Masaya was watching her with a concerned look on his face.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. What were you saying?" _Why did you interrupt that?_

"I asked if you wished to come again tomorrow evening. Would you be interested?"

"Um...sure. I'd love to," she accepted with a smile. _Maybe being close with Masaya can't be a completely bad thing._

From the other side, Tatsuki could hear Captain Kurotsuchi say, "And that's that. I trust you can do this correctly?"

"Yes, sir, you may count on me."

"Hm, yes. I appreciate that."

_I missed it?_ Tatsuki thought. _There had to be more than that, right?_

The rest of the meal passed by with an even thicker silence, with a small corner of Tatsuki's disappointment. After, Masaya insisted a tour around his house, which Tatsuki accepted, though she couldn't really say no. The rest of the grounds were just as elegant as the beginning, and the overall theme was consistent. A rose garden and small pond were in the back of the grounds, and the steady trickling of the water gave a peaceful vibe resonating in the entire area. A bench of jade sat under a willow tree on a small island in the middle of the pond, where Masaya led her. The moon was high in the sky, and the reflection on the water was almost as clear as the sky itself. One look into the dark liquid, and Tatsuki felt she would fall into the night sky.

"So what do you think?" he asked as they rested on the bench.

"I think you're extremely rich and spoiled," Tatsuki responded jokingly.

He laughed. "Do I really come off like that?"

"Kind of, yeah."

Masaya looked at Tatsuki, directly into her eyes, and the joking atmosphere was replaced with something more serious and gentle. "You know," he began, "the moonlight really makes you glow." He reached a hand to her face, the index finger gently landing on her right cheek. The small touch was warm, with a small spark, freezing Tatsuki. "It really makes you look...beautiful..." He placed his entire hand on her cheek gently. The sparks multiplied as Masaya began to pull her in slightly, and Tatsuki realizes why is was shocking, in a way that made her draw back. The one that should be in such a beautiful spot like this with her, touching her cheek like that and speaking to her in that way shouldn't Masaya. The spark was a warning.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, confused on her sudden withdrawal.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but this just doens't feel right."

"Hm?" He blinked in surprise. "Am I moving too fast?"

A small flash of frustration flared, but Tatsuki contained it. Thinking of what advantages Masaya could have for her, even though she knew it wrong, was worth a little lying. "Um, yeah, sorry."

"Well, in that case, I'm sorry," he apologized. "But maybe tomorrow night...?"

"Still a little too soon." _A million years would be too soon, _she thought a bit bluntly.

"Oh... I think it's getting a little late. Maybe I should get you back home?"

"I think that's a good idea," Tatsuki agreed, smiling.

The two left the water-side bench and passed through the house and out the front garden. After Masaya had left her at the gates of the Academy's dorms, he left with reluctance in his eyes. Tatsuki went in before he was even out of sight.

Walking in to the room that was assigned to her and Kishi, Tatsuki slid in without awaking her roommate. In the bed that had already been prepared for her, Tatsuki thought of all that had happened recently. She was living just the other day, and suddenly she had been thrown into this world that Ichigo had once been a large part of. So many seemed to know of him, but in turn many knew of his current situation, and as she thought about it, Tatsuki realized that anyone finding out her relationship to the ex-Captain was even more dangerous than before. Locking away the unwanted thoughts of discovery, Tatsuki instead dreamed of the day that she and Ichigo could be with the other again. After what seemed like only ten minutes of a perfect escape, it was morning.

**A/N: Oh geez, I can't believe it took me so long to get this chapter. It's been what, like months? I am so sorry if any of you were dying at the computer, checking every day for an update that never came, and I'm sorry if the last half of this chapter seems a little out of line. There was a time period of about five months where I didn't even think about this chapter. And here's an apology in advance because I have a feeling it'll be a long time till I get the next chapter up. I am working on a fiction that I hope to get published as soon as I finish a few things on it, that, and school starting up again, and I have to deal with marching band and piano lessons and Rainbow stuff [[Rainbow's this amazing group I'm in, and I recommend it to any girl between 11 and 20. (.) Unless you're like in the middle of Delaware. There isn't any Rainbow in Delaware.]] That, and surprise surprise! I'm going to be starting high school this year! And taking some AP classes! Well, Pre-AP, anyway. That's all you can take in freshmen year. But wish me luck, cuz I'm going to need it if I'm not going to die in the next few months! **

**On another random note: The movie The Orphan is really good. I just saw it with some of my friends, and I laughed and jumped and went "OOOH, WHAT?!?!?" at least five times. For each of those things. It was great, so check it out!!!**

**Thanks for waiting for so long, and I wouldn't have continued this if I hadn't thought of the many people that are really into this story. You guys are amazing!**

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha [[I almost forgot my screen name, I haven't been on for so long. Ah!]] =]**


	27. Reunited: Does it feel so good?

**A/N: OMG, shoot me now! It's been almost a year since I've updated! I had no idea it was that long, I am so sorry! But at least I haven't totally forgotten about this fic; I've got an outline written out and everything. My laptop's been acting up and wouldn't let me log on to its system, so I had to send it to a friend to fix it. Luckily, I have it back now! Yay! So yeah, I have a feeling I'll be way more busy this school year than last year because they changed it from us having four classes a day to having seven, so that means more homework. That, and being in marching band (I'm section leader this year! =]) will make for one busy schedule! Anwayz... Also, I've been working on a new fic that I wrote for Negima! It's called Mission: Save The World (I was short on titles) and... yeah. It's got two chapters so far, so go have fun if you know the series!**

**So you know the deal: Read, rate, review, however it goes. And remember! Ichigo loves you =]**

"You ready?" Kishi asked as she and her friend walked down the path to the main school building.

"Yeah, I guess," Tatsuki responded. Today their class would be traveling inside one of the Gotei Thirteen's most important and mysterious facilities: The Department of Research, led by the Twelfth Squad. Masaya had been bragging about how his dad had pulled the strings so that they can have full access to all the experiments they had to offer. The whole class was excited about it, especially those who wanted to join the Twelfth Squad. Tatsuki, though, just had one thing on her mind.

_Ichigo._

Visiting Masaya's home several nights a week had given her a chance to gather a lot of knowledge on her missing strawberry. Ichigo was being held in the fifteenth containment chamber in the Twelfth Squad's department's basement. Tatsuki hoped she would be able to sneak away at some point and try and find him, maybe using Masaya's help. She was sure he would do anything for her, and if this was one of those rare times when Tatsuki was wrong, well, she _did_ always beat him in Combat class.

The group gathered on the lawn outside the building. After a long lecture on how fortunate the class was for this experience and something about trust and obeying safety rules and such, they were off. As they walked, Masaya inched closer to Tatsuki until his arm was over her shoulder.

"You excited?" he asked, grinning.

"Yeah! Why wouldn't I be?" Tatsuki responded, putting on her fakest smile. Recently, she had gotten very good at lying.

Masaya laughed. "I love your enthusiasm," he stated, pulling her closer. "Say, you wanna secret tour?"

Now it was Tatsuki's turn to laugh. "What kind of tour?"

"Oh, you know, just a little something that only I can show you. What do you say?"

"Hmm, sounds nice," Tatsuki said. _You have no idea what you're getting yourself into._

The group arrived at the Research Facility some time after that (it was a long walk) and the tour began. The inside of the building was dark, lit only by the various screens embedded in the walls and light fixtures set in the floor. First was the command center, where shinigami of various forms sat and monitored the workings of missions, experiments, and other such things. Next was the Organ Hall, a nickname given to the room that was Captain Mayori Kurotsuchi's private computer database.

As the other members of the group entered the Organ Hall, a certain couple lingered at the back. When they were alone in the hallway, without making much sound, they snuck away from the rest of the group.

"Ready for that tour?" Masaya asked while pulling Tatsuki along by her hand.

"Yeah," she answered. "You know what?" she added hesitantly.

"Hmm? What?"

"Um... No, never mind, it's probably too much..."

Masaya held her by her shoulders. "Nothing is too much for you, babe," he said. Tatsuki could tell he meant it by his eyes. "What is it?"

"Um, well... I had heard that there was a captain who was held in here, and..."

"What? You wanna go see him?" Masaya asked sincerely.

Tatsuki nodded her head, acting embarrassed.

Masaya smiled. "Come on, I know where he's at." He began to lead the way.

Tatsuki smiled excitedly. _Smooth as butter_, she noted silently.

…

Ichigo sat in his cell, alone. He laid on his back, looking up at the ceiling, the hum of the machines occupying his cell flooding his eardrums.

_What am I supposed to do all day?_ he asked himself.

The day before, Captain Kurotsuchi had mentioned to Ichigo that they would be taking a break for the next day. The captain was afraid that daily experiments would injure to body, which would make for poor testing. While Ichigo was excited he wouldn't be poked and prodded for an entire twenty-four hours, he couldn't help but let the loneliness of it all claim his mind. There was just nothing to do!

He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. _I guess I could sleep all day._ The thought was inticing; Ichigo couldn't remember the last time he had a whole day of sleep. As he closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to claim him, he sighed. Somehow, while it sounded great, the idea just didn't feel... satisfying.

Ichigo laid there for several minutes, his mind blank, until it filled with the sound of footsteps. _Lunch ?_ he thought. The footsteps grew louder until Ichigo could discern that there were two pairs. Usually they only sent one person to deliver his food. Had Kurotsuchi lied about no testing today?

The door opened.

Ichigo looked up, then shot straight up as he recognized what was before him.

"...What's this?" he asked.

"Um, hello, sir," the male greeted. "My name is Masaya Tsukoyo. My father is an officer of the Twelfth Squad. We just wanted to-" Masaya's body suddenly fell to the ground, unconscious. Standing behind him was Tatsuki, who looked as though she had just chopped his neck...

Ichigo stood up and took a few steps forward. Though his mouth was open, he just couldn't seem to find any words to speak.

"Hey, strawberry," Tatsuki greeted, stepping forward to meet him.

Shock was in Ichigo's eyes. His hand shook as he reached up to touch Tatsuki's face. "You're... You're..."

"Oh, come on!" Tatsuki yelled. "Yes, it's really me. We have to get out of here soon, so let's go!" She grabbed Ichigo's arm and started pulling him from the room, but he didn't seem to want to move. "Come _on_!"

"Tatsuki..." Ichigo said, hesitant. "I've already been labeled as a traitor here. They don't trust me anymore. They think I'm a bad guy. I can't just leave again! That way, I'd never get their trust back."

"...Am I not worth it?"

"...I didn't say that. But Tatsuki, you have to understand, they could _kill_ me for this. _Kill_!"

Tatsuki's hand dropped from Ichigo's, and she looked to the floor.

"I risked a lot to come here, Ichigo. I've done a lot of things for this moment, and now I'm finding out it would have just been better had I stayed in that slum of a town I woke up in?" Tears brimmed Tatsuki's eyes, though her voice nor face showed any sign that she was crying. "I'm sorry, but I was under the impression that you loved me." She started to leave, stepping over Masaya's body.

"Tatsuki," Ichigo called, though she didn't stop. "Tatsuki!" Ichigo looked around the room, frustrated, then down to the unconscious boy before him. "Oh, shit... Tatsuki!" he called again, this time running after her.

He met her in the hall, and grabbed her shoulder from behind. "I do," he said shortly. "I do love you." Ichigo walked in front of Tatsuki, looked into her crying eyes, and kissed her. It was sweet, loving, and fierce. When they finally broke apart, Ichigo started pulling her ahead. "Come on, I have to get something first."

As they headed down the hall, Tatsuki heard her name being called from behind. She looked back as she ran, and saw Masaya standing in the hall, looking very weak and very hurt. He wanted her to come back, but all she did was turn her back and run.

**A/N: Okay, so I know this is one of the shorter chapter's in the series, but it was all I could do in an hour, since I have to go somewhere pretty soon. Anyway, so yay! Tatsuki and Ichigo found each other! 3 But let us have a moment of silence for Masaya's broken heart. (I feel so evil doing that to him.) Okay, so, let's hope I get the next chapter out soon. IchiTats love! =]**

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha (thinking I should change my screen name. Whatcha think?)**

**P.S. I have officially fallen in love with Kingdom Hearts. If you guys want some kind of fanfic about it, I'd be happy to write it for you. Lemme know, okay? =]**


	28. Desperation

**A/N: Haha, second update in one week! I think I'm doing pretty well on updating recently, eh? =] Anyway... Yeah, I don't really have much to say here, except that I'm finally going to be seeing Inception on Friday! Oh, I can't wait! =] I've heard it was really good. Confusing, but good. But now I don't want to keep you from this chapter any longer, so here it is! Chapter 28 =D**

"What is this?" Captain Kurotsuchi said, looking up at his lieutenant.

"It's the report from the recent incident," Nemu responded, "of Ichigo Kurosaki's escape.

The Captain tossed the papers in the air and rolled his eyes. "There's just no containing some specimens," he sighed.

…

The hall was light by a single candle at the front of the room with the Captain Commander standing before it. He looked at the eight captains he had left with a certain frustration. What was becoming of his Gotei? Each captain looked ahead, waiting for their leader to begin the meeting, and all he could think about was which one would be the next to leave.

"I believe we all know why we are here," the Captain Commander started, holding his staff out in front of him powerfully. "Ichigo Kurosaki has once again escaped from our custody." All eyes were downcast and lost in a sea of thoughts, all expressions passive yet also sorrowful, save for Captain Hitsugaya's. _Stupid Ichigo_, he thought in pure frustration. The Captain Commander continued.

"However, this time, we still believe him to be in Soul Society. We do not who his ally is, nor do we know how many. The objective is to once again capture Ichigo Kurosaki." The old man's eyes slit angrily as he finished his speech.

"Dead or alive."

…

Masaya Tsukoyo couldn't focus. No matter how many times the instructor called his name in class, no matter how many friends came up to him, all he responded with was a dazed and confused stare. He couldn't think about anything except what had happened the day before. The way she looked at him... It was as if he didn't matter to her anymore. Was everything she had said... just a lie? Could it be he had never meant anything to her? Was he just... a tool?

Classmates turned to stare as Masaya subconsciously punched the wall with the side of him fist. As he walked away while rubbing his hand, specks of the wall fell to the floor like dust.

_Ichigo Kurosaki..._

_He_ was the source of all his problems. Ever since _he _came back, his father was overflowed with work. It was as if he didn't have time for his son at all. Then, after finally thinking that he had fallen in love with the most amazing girl he had met, _he_ decided to take her away from him. It was more than Masaya could stand to bear.

That day, Masaya Tsukoyo vowed he would one day reap from Ichigo Kurosaki the revenge that he longed for.

…

Deep in the mountains, Ichigo was busy performing a kido-based barrier. It would be undetectable to any who would come looking for him or Tatsuki, who was standing in the nearby river, looking for fish.

"Caught anything yet?" Ichigo called as he finished the last incantation.

"SHUT UP, ALREADY, WOULD YA?"

Fishing is not Tatsuki's forte.

Ichigo sighed and walked back over to the makeshift tent they had made. Currently, the two were camped far from Seireitei, somewhere in the bowels on the unmarked mountains of the land. Luckily, they had found a nice valley in between some of the larger mountains, with fresh mountain water flowing through the middle. True, the sun only shown about one hour a day due to the towering piles of rock on any side of them, and yes, there was almost always a heavy cloud of fog hanging over the valley, but it was secluded. No one traveled there, and even if they did, due to Ichigo's barriers, none would be able to detect their reiatsu. The only way for someone to find them were if they had walked by foot down one of the mountains and broke the barrier that didn't seem to exist.

Soon, Tatsuki, though usually a fighting spirit, gave up on the fish and allowed Ichigo to try. Within a half hour, they had four fish cooking on the fire Tatsuki had managed to create with some of the kido she had learned in the Academy.

"So what next?" Tatsuki said, gulping down the fish. Nothing better than freshly-caught food.

Ichigo stared into the fire. "I... I don't know," he said softly and unsure.

"What?"

"I don't know what we're going to do now," Ichigo said, looking distraught. "We can't go back to Karakura, that's too predictable, and Hueco Mundo is an obvious 'hell no,' and we definitely cannot return to the Seireitei, or even Rukongai for that matter. I just..." Ichigo's head sank down to where his face wasn't visible, "don't know what to do."

Tatsuki looked at him sadly for a few seconds, then put an arm around him. She couldn't help but think that it was her fault for making him an outcast again. No, he was more than an outcast now. He was more like an escaped convict, and it was very possible there could be a bounty on that orange head of his right now. Tatsuki felt tears welling in her eyes as she saw what she had reduce Ichigo to, and then thinking of what she did to Masaya... Even if she _was_ desperate to get to Ichigo, no one deserved to be used like that.

Ichigo didn't move, and Tatsuki looked to the sky. Somehow, she felt that she had done something terrible, something that would affect more people than just her and Ichigo. Her stomach twisted as her instincts fed regret into her soul.

_What have I done?_

**A/N: Wow, there's a lot of sadness in this chapter. But you know, sadness, regret, hatred, murderous intent is what makes a story really worth it, I think. I do kind of feel sorry for making this happen to all the characters, but I must continue! For the readers' sakes! I'm off to brainstorm and type. Review please! I love you all! =D**

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha (Naw, I think I'll keep my name. It feels like my trademark now.) =]**


	29. Breech

**A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! This is taking forever, and I apologize once again before hand for how short this chapter is. Like, it's SHORT. But you don't need me to tell you that. Just go forth and read and hate on me later. Ready, GO!**

The ever-glowing moon looked down upon the wasted desert that stretched out for eternity, possible with a mix of sadness from hearing the recent news. A certain blue-haired fiend strolled across the grainy landscape smirking. Anger and excitement swirled as he remembered... _that_ incident from not too long ago.

"Revenge," he laughed, "is going to be _so_ sweet. Just you wait, you little shit. I'm coming for ya!" As the demon's laughs echoed into the night, rolling across the desert like a devilishly taunting wind, a sudden air of threat landed itself upon the lands of Hueco Mundo.

...

Tatsuki roamed the makeshift camp, feeling unsettled.

"Ichigo..." she called softly, looking at the back of the orange-haired outcast. He kept his back to her and said nothing. "Ichigo," she said again, stepping closer to him. Still, he did nothing in response.

_What have I done?_ she thought once more. Guilt racked Tatsuki's mind, thinking about all the trouble she'd caused Ichigo. It wasn't just him, either. How does Masaya feel, now that his supposed girlfriend has run off with a crazy research department detainee? How does Kishi feel, left alone at the Academy that would never be the same without her friend that had gotten her in? How does Soul Society feel, now that their big threat-of-an-ex-captain has escaped once again, this time with the help of a lowly school girl? And the consequences, oh, the consequences. If – no, let's be realistic – _when_ they find Ichigo, would he be put to death? Most likely. Tatsuki? She'd probably follow right behind him. Would anybody stand to listen to Ichigo? Would anyone stand up and defend him other than Tatsuki? Probably not. To Soul Society and the Gotei, he was a threat. A very substantial, very dangerous, very _real_ threat. No one would stand for reason, only safety.

It was thoughts like these that have been plaguing Tatsuki for the past two days. She spent most of her time crying, Ichigo spent his sulking. Neither really spoke to one another. They just sat and wasted away, waiting for the end that would inevitably come.

Tatsuki sat, her back against Ichigo's.

"What now?" she asked quietly, her words barely audible.

A long silence followed before Ichigo answered. "I think we should move on. It's better not to stay in one spot for too long."

Tatsuki nodded, not wanting to say another word. Hesitating, she stood and began to pack what little they had in their camp. Ichigo, also sullen, soon joined her. They worked in silence, neither one feeling up to challenge of speaking, not even thinking for that matter, each too swallowed in their muddled feelings to so much as form a single thought.

Tatsuki barely registered even the noises she was making while packing: the flapping of canvas as their stolen tent came down, the echoes of the rocks she kicked haphazardly while doing her work, the rustling of leaves in the bushes behind her-

_Leaves? _she thought. Tatsuki looked to her left. Ichigo was busy putting out the fire, no where near close to any bush. There was no breeze that night, either. Tatsuki looked behind her, and as she stared at the bush in anticipation, the still air was almost suffocating. Once more, the leaves rustled.

Getting Ichigo's attention (by throwing a small rock at his back), Tatsuki motioned towards the bush. Then, silently, she bent down to pick up another rock, this one larger and more rugged. Pulling her arm back, she let it whistle through the air, through the bushes, where it landed, shortly followed by a loud and annoyed, "OW!"

Ichigo ran right, Tatsuki left, as they moved to contain their discoverer. Before they could take any action, however, a figure appeared through the bushes and stumbled into camp. Small, lean, with long dark hair, and bright green eyes that looked around the camp sheepishly, as though embarrassed of being caught.

Ichigo looked at Tatsuki, who looked at Ichigo. How had this person come to find their camp? Ichigo, who had been trained in kido arts for decades, couldn't have put up a barrier like he had and still be detected. There was no way! And yet... Here she was, a girl who was able to find them through that very barrier that was supposed to have made them undetectable. Focusing back on the intruder, neither Ichigo nor Tatsuki could believe what they were staring at.

Rubbing the back of her head, Kishi mumbled shyly, "Surprise?"

**A/N: ANNNNDDDDD, there we go. Yeah, it's short, I know. Actually, this chapter, except for the last few paragraphs, has been sitting in my computer for months. Shoot me now, for I am horrible at making frequent updates! Anyway. But if you're wondering about why it is that it's taking me so long to update each time, no, it's not that I have writer's block anymore. (Well, sorta.) I have the ending of this sucker already planned, I just need to find a way to get from here to there. And it might take a while, especially with all that I have going on. **

**Anyway. But if you have ideas for separate fics, or any little scenes or something you want in this one, feel free to let me know. It may take a while to develop, but I will most definitely make it work. **

**And for my quote? Here's a little something I cooked up myself. "Impossible isn't just a word, it's a challenge to do better than anyone before you." **

**-PixieTitan-Uchiha X3**


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